If Only the Episodes Were Longer
by IReadAndWriteSometimes
Summary: Additional scenes or scenes along these lines I wish had happened in seasons 5 and 6.
1. 5x01

She entered the condo and, as usually, deposited her keys in her purse and the purse on the coat rack. She took a deep breath and proceeded to take a seat on her couch. As she reached for a pillow to pull close to her chest she let the breath go.

 _I'm doing this_ , she told herself reassuringly, letting her head lean on the back of the couch. She let a small smile cross her face as she thought about the way his face lit up when she told him they were doing this. She could burst out in giggles thinking about the way his brows shot up in surprise when she continued with a _however_. He was used to her _however_ s, yet they always manage to catch him off guard. He recovered quickly though, she thought.

He smiled, leaned back into his chair, folded his hands on top of the table and simply said, "Okay, let's hear it then." She was well aware of being demanding or difficult but, by now, she was confident in the knowledge that he would never take it the wrong way. And he didn't. There was no annoyance in his voice or stance. Only patience. He would hear her out. And he did.

It wasn't so much the moving in that had her on edge, but the matter-of-fact manner in which he was going into it. Eager as always, she felt he was jumping first, and thinking later. Okay, maybe moving in itself had her on edge, too. Well, not on edge per se. It simply brought about an unwelcome feeling of uncertainty. Not of her commitment to Andy. Of that she was absolutely certain. No. She knew where those feelings came from.

 _Jack._

That's where her _however_ s came from, too. She needed to fully flesh out what moving in would mean for the both of them. Logistically, financially and emotionally. The last time, she didn't and it didn't end so well either.

He would put his house on sale. Their dinner has come to that conclusion in spite of, or maybe even because of her _however_ s. They would fully work out her other points later. It had been a long day at work, they could work it all out when they were less exhausted and more alert. It wasn't the place for that discussion either for they had agreed to lay out their respective financial circumstances and discuss those first. They hadn't really touched upon that subject thus far in their relationship. Moving in together meant that they should. And they would. For now they agreed that before selling his house they should agree on a budget. They should also come up with a contingency plan should his house be sold prior to having found a house they both liked. It was a given for her to have him move in with her in that case. But she made it clear they would discuss that as well.

 _Rusty_.

Of course, he factored into her decision, too. A bigger smile graced her face as she remembered Andy's reaction to the mere mention of him.

"Sharon, where you go, he goes," he told her as he put a hand over her fidgeting one across the table. "Or well," he paused, stumbling over his words now, "you'll have to talk to him, and erm, see if he even wants to-, which I hope he does, but you know, if he doesn't and well, you-"

"Yes, I'll talk to him," she cut off his rambling, placing her other hand over his. "For now, we're probably a packaged deal," she shrugged, "but I will have to talk to him."

"I know, don't worry about it," he told her.

Emily and Ricky weren't on her mind that much in this regard, but Andy's daughter was. She agreed with his reasoning for buying a place in Silver Lake, but they would more thoroughly tackle that part later, too.

Initially, she worried he would go along with whatever she suggested just to have his wish granted. He tended to put her needs ahead of his, and, while appreciated, she didn't want him to feel it was necessary in order to keep her.  
 _Keep her_. She scoffed at the image that brought about. But keep her he would, she was more than happy with that arrangement. But when she pointed out that particular worry, he put her mind at ease almost immediately. "Listen, I really would be okay with just moving closer to Nicole and work," he paused, smiling, "and you. And yes, I do feel moving in together is a reasonable step for us now as well. But trust me, I understand that these are also things we should discuss if moving in together is an option at all." He waited a beat, to see if she had anything to interject, she didn't, so he continued. "And I am in no way agreeing to everything you want. I fully intend to pick the key chain on our new house keys, for all of us, whether you like it or not." It got the desired effect and elicited a chuckle from her. She believed him. He only ever underlined things with humor when he felt strongly about them or was nervous. It was a little bit of both right then, she knew, and she believed him even more because of it.

 _We will move in together._ Once they sit down to tackle the logistics of it and the financial aspects of it, they would start looking for a place for them. They will move in together. She pulled the pillow closer to her as she thought back to another bit of their conversation. One addressed by Andy. And one that made her all the more sure that she was making the right decision. It had also been the only moment of their conversation during which Andy felt slightly uncomfortable. "Do you think you can reconcile this with," he took a sip of his cranberry soda, and adjusted himself in his chair, sitting straighter, as if drawing confidence from the position, "our church?" He paused only long enough to take another breath before adding, "With your Catholicism?"

His genuine worry brought up such an array of emotions in her, that for a moment, she had only managed to offer him a choked up "Oh, Andy," before getting her emotions under control in order to put his mind at ease. While both being Catholic, they considered that part of their lives somewhat differently. To Andy, rationalizing opposing views personally and religiously had come much more easily than it ever had to her. Not that his faith was weaker than hers. She simply took the rules a bit more seriously than he did. He had originally made fun of her for that. "Rulebook Raydor in religion as well," he had teased her. "Troublemaker in faith, too," she had scolded him, a smile tugging at her lips. She knew he respected her faith, it being slightly different than his, but hearing his genuine concern in that moment had meant more to her than she would ever be able to explain in words.

The rest of their dinner passed in sharing ideas about their ideal house and her heart filled with warmth each time Andy remembered they should ask Rusty what he'd like. He wanted to include him, but wouldn't approach him though, she knew. She wasn't exactly sure how to approach the subject herself if she was perfectly honest. That Andy wouldn't and couldn't, however, wasn't a surprise. As much as things had improved between them after Andy's accident and Slider's trial, Rusty was still sometimes awkward around them. She tried to brush it off to Rusty's qualms about _old people dating_ as he had so aptly put it, but she suspected there was more to it. Either way, her mind, and heart, were set. She would deal with Rusty when and if she had to.

As if on cue, Rusty came trudging down the hallway.

"Oh, hi," he said stopping in his tracks in front of the living room. "I thought you would be going over to Lieutenant Flynn's place?" he asked as he walked past the couch towards the kitchen.

She rolled her head over the back of the couch following his movement. "It's Thursday. He went to a meeting. And it has been a long day," she told him.

"Right," he said coming back with a glass of water to sit on the couch next to her. He threw her an inquisitive glance as she finally kicked off her heels.

"Yes?" she asked him, the glance having not gone unnoticed by her. She straightened up, flexed her feet and turned to face him, pillow still clutched in her hands.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, frowning slightly. "I know I ruined your evening the other night and I heard the Lieutenant talking about you wanting to alert your children to something?"

"Ah" she started, squeezing the pillow slightly. _Well, I didn't expect to be discussing this now._ she thought. "Andy and I are" she swallowed, "thinking about moving in together."

Rusty remained quiet, nodding. "We _intend_ to move in together, actually." she clarified, glad to hear her voice remained steady.

"Oh." was all Rusty said. His face fell slightly. He no longer met her gaze. He seemed to have been caught off guard. He hadn't expected that. _Was that fear that crossed his features? Or worry?_ she wondered. He seemed at a loss for words. He took a gulp of water.

"Rusty," Sharon started, and deciding, it probably was worry she saw, she put a hand on his shoulder facing her, "we have only decided that we want to and will move in together. We don't know when yet. Not right away at least. There's a lot of things we have to work out before we do that, but this is not your 30 day notice, okay?"

At that he looked up at her. Relief washed over his features. How that was still a fear of his was beyond her. And after the adoption at that. He nodded again and looked away again "Okay."

She let him gather his thoughts and soon enough he looked at her again. "So..." he started, but Sharon decided to interrupt him.

"Remember when we first talked about adoption?"

Confused he closed his mouth, then opened it again only to say "Yeah?"

"And how I told you we would discuss it once I have the chance to see what that really meant for us?"

"Yes," he said, still not sure where she was going with this.

"Well, I am still working on what this," she waved her hand in the air as if trying to encompass _this_ in the gesture, "will mean. But you," she squeezed the shoulder under her hand, "will definitely be part of it. If you want to be."

At that she gave him a long look, waiting for the words to sink in.

He took a deep breath. "Okay." He took another breath. "But Lieut-, Andy, is he okay with that?" he asked hesitantly.

She smiled at him and started getting up, her hand on his shoulder sliding down his arm in the process, "I don't see why he wouldn't be." She bent over to pick up her heels. She gave him a pointed look, "But you can always ask him yourself."

And before he could respond to that she turned toward the hallway and headed for the bathroom, leaving a dumbfounded Rusty behind. She would say goodnight before turning in, of course, but for now, she felt it was a good note to end the conversation on. God only knew those two needed to talk. If a nudge or two is what it will take, then so be it.

* * *

 _ **This is my first Major Crimes story. I welcome reviews (be gentle, please!) and I think I might want to try writing a scene or two for each of the episodes. What do you say?**_


	2. 5x02

They were sitting at the table, takeout boxes scattered all over, eating Chinese this time. Rusty had plans with Gus, so they opted for takeout at her place instead of going out for dinner. They had hoped for a relaxing home-cooked meal, but once again a case disrupted their plans. Something else, however seemed to have disrupted Sharon's mood. For much of the evening Andy had done the talking. Not that he minded, but Sharon seemed, for lack of a better word, _off_. She listened to him, even participated in the conversation, but he could tell by her far away looks and somewhat tense posture that she wasn't fully into it.

As he got up to clear the table (she had given up on insisting to do it herself months ago, therefore remained seated), he decided to just ask. "So, care to tell me what has you so distracted?"

She looked up at him, now unceremoniously dropping the empty boxes into the trashcan, and sighed.

He chuckled, walking back to the table, "That bad, huh?" he said, as he resumed his seat next to her.

"I received a call from Sharon Beck today," she told him in a tone clearly indicating she was anything but happy about it.

"Wow, we haven't heard from her in a while, she in trouble again?"

Again she sighed. That did not bode well, he thought.

"She wants to come see me at work tomorrow." Sharon told him, her gaze directed at him although Andy thought she was looking through him, behind him, definitely without really seeing him.

"Oh," he straightened in his chair. "Did she tell you what she wanted?"

"No, whatever it is, she said she would prefer to address it in person." He could tell she was holding back an eyeroll and was still gazing through him.

"Does Rusty know?" he prodded.

She refocused now. Her attention finally fully on Andy. She shook her head. "No, I haven't told him yet."

This surprised Andy. For a second his eyes narrowed looking at her. She told Rusty everything. There were no secrets between them. Not if they could help it, that is. Instead of dwelling on that, he said, "Yet?"

"I would like to find out what she wants before I tell him anything. I know she's been clean for a while now and that Rusty has been keeping in touch with her." she told him. "I also don't think she told Rusty about wanting to see me. I'm sure he would've mentioned something if she had," she continued, a slight frown forming on her face.

"You think it has something to do with your deal?"

She shrugged and cocked her head. "Could be."

"Well, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" he said, suddenly getting up again and offering her his hand.  
She looked up at him, then down at his hand. "I suppose we will," she replied, taking his hand and getting up as he tugged on hers.

"Good. We'll deal with it then," he told her as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Now, I think you mentioned something about wanting to relax?" He nudged her forwards, towards the couch.

She smiled and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder for a second, following into his step. "Yes, I do remember something about that." When he let go of her to sit on the couch though, she remained standing, a mischievous smile gracing her features.

He narrowed her eyes at her. "What?"

"I don't remember it involving my couch." And with that she sauntered off towards the bedroom.

He sat there flabbergasted for a moment, but then shook his head, and quickly, ignoring his protesting knees, got on his feet to follow her. He mumbled something sounding very much like "wicked" and "witch" just before reaching and pulling her towards him for a kiss.

Rusty wasn't home, they'd get to the bedroom eventually.

* * *

"So, how did it go with Rusty?"

They were sitting at a diner near his place waiting for their orders. They hadn't seen much of each other after Sharon Beck's visit. They only shared a moment right after she left when Sharon told him the news. They were forced to focus on the case afterwards. With that being over though, they finally found time for each other.

"As was to be expected," she told him, making herself more comfortable next to him in the booth. "He is dead set against it at the moment."

She almost smiled, and he knew it was because Rusty's reaction was just so... Rusty.

"At the moment?" Andy's voice took on an amused note.

"I," she took on an amused tone as well, "gave him something to think about. I also told him he'd be seeing his mother tonight at the condo."

"Ouch. That must have gone over well," Andy told her, looking at her with a somewhat puzzled expression. She was completely at ease. Relaxed. Too relaxed, he thought. It also explained why they were heading over to his place after dinner. Rusty needed some space.

She sobered for a moment. "Mhm, but it's necessary. This is something he has to face now. As much as I am here to offer support, I cannot deal with it _instead_ of him." The way she inflected the word _instead_ tugged at his heart. If she could and if it was best for him, she would deal with it _instead_ of him, he knew.

She looked like she had more to say and was just gathering her thoughts, so he remained quiet, arching an eyebrow at her, urging her to continue. "I honestly don't know what to think about it myself. I told Rusty as much. But I do believe it's important to think about what is best for the baby, and the mother." With that she shrugged and took a sip of her water.

The words escaped him before he could stop himself. He was simply too surprised. "How come you're so," he waved his hand at her, "blasé about this?"

She snorted at him, nearly spilling her water. "Blasé?" she arched an eyebrow at him. "Really?"

"Okay, okay," he deflated, "not blasé, but so, uh, relaxed about this?"

She laughed this time and ran her hand over his tie, before looking up at him again. "I am not relaxed about it." she said at length. "However, I know there isn't much I can really do right now. I'll share some of my thoughts with Rusty once I know what they are. Having Rusty talk about this with his mother is the first step. We'll go from there."

Andy still looked at her as if she had grown another head. "Oh, stop it." She gave him a stern look. "Honestly, right now I am just relieved that it isn't really _bad_ news. I had all kinds of scenarios in my head when she called. It could have been much worse and you know it."

His features softened and he took the hand that a moment ago was on his tie. "Yeah, okay, you're right." She smirked at that. He gave her a look, but continued, "So, we're not worried about Sharon Beck's pregnancy?" His tone indicated a _but_ coming, although he waited for Sharon's response first.

She could melt at the way he so nonchalantly talked about _them_ worrying. It was always _we_ with him. Never _I_. Not anymore. Instead she nodded looking at him, not sure what was on his mind. "But we do worry about how Rusty is dealing with this?" he finished his thought.

She smiled again, a sad shadow crossing her face this time. "Yes. He's angry with the situation right now, I think. We'll talk when he cools off. I want him to see all the implications of this before he really makes up his mind about it." She smiled again when she added, "Whatever the circumstances, he's got the opportunity to be a big brother now. I wouldn't want him to miss out on _that_ without ever even considering it."

"Spoken like a true mother," he told her, pulling her hand up for a soft kiss.

The waitress came with their orders then, and with that, they let go off the topic of Sharon Beck for the time being.

* * *

After dinner they were walking hand in hand back to Andy's car, parked a couple of blocks away, when Sharon's phone buzzed. They slowed their gait so she could fish it out of her purse. It was Rusty. She had texted him earlier while Andy was taking care of the bill, asking him if everything was okay. She assumed Sharon Beck would have left by then.

 _I guess. Don't worry. Gus is coming over after work. Won't be bored. Enjoy your evening. See you tomorrow._ it said.

She smiled at the text.

"I guess he's okay, then?" Andy asked noticing her expression.

"Well, I basically got an essay for an answer, so I think he'll survive."

"Good," he said, gripping her hand more tightly and pulling her closer to him. They fell into a comfortable silence. It felt nice being able to just be for a moment.

"You know, I wish I could've just punched that guy today." Andy broke the silence after a while.

She flashed a look at him, brows drawing together in confusion for a second before realization set in. "And his lawyer, too," she said.

"The lawyer?" his head shot back down to size her up.

"Yes, he told me, my moral values aside, those girls only got what they asked for." she practically scoffed in derision, as if repeating his words were an altogether new insult.

"Idiot," was all he said as he pulled his gaze back in front of him.

Silence enveloped them again. When they reached his car, Andy about to open the passenger side door for Sharon, he let out a soft chuckle. Sharon turned to him, a smile tugging at her lips, even if she didn't know what had him chuckling. "What's so funny?"

He grinned this time. "You wanting to punch someone."

Her lips spread into a full blown smile. "Well, I have my moments," she said shrugging a shoulder innocently.

"Oh, I know you do." And with that he opened the car door for her to slip inside. Before closing the door though, he leaned into the car to drop a kiss to her smiling lips.

She watched him, amused, as he walked around the car and sat behind the wheel. He slanted a look at her before turning on the ignition. "You know, with this whole Sharon Beck ordeal, I guess he'll be spending less time freaking out over our house hunting now." He offered her a crooked grin, "So that's something."

"Oh," she laughed at him while shaking her head. "You keep telling yourself that, honey," she said, her hand coming up to caress his cheek. "He'll let us know more about that soon enough, don't you worry."

"Well, I _am_ worrying now," he huffed, finally pulling out of the parking space and pointing the car home.

* * *

 _ **Whoa, thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming. If you have any particular wishes or ideas, I'd love to hear those, too. Anyways, hope you liked this. I like the idea of a supportive Andy. It's usually Sharon doing all the supporting, so having Andy be the one this time, in his own unique way (you know, being there and being himself), feels like a nice change of pace. I always think they kind of have the topic of addiction covered, so I doubt that would be a burning issue between them when it comes to Sharon Beck. *shrugs***_

 _ **Also, I apologize for any mistakes, be it typos or something worse. Not a native English speaker.**_


	3. 5x03

_**So, there are a couple of things I felt were missing in this episode. Shandy, of course, being one of them, but also a scene of Sharon being shown that ATM video. That's why there are two separate (unrelated?) scenes in this update. I wrote a short, teeny tiny piece with a hint of Shandy first. The second bit is set after the dinner with Gus. Here goes nothing!**_

* * *

Part 1

He nearly bumped into Rusty, who was making his way out of Sharon's office. The team was done with the park and he had just returned to the murder room.

"Hey," was all Andy could throw his way. Rusty walked towards Buzz's desk, videotape in hand. He mumbled a "Hey." in return but that was it.

Andy, standing between his desk and the open door to Sharon's office, followed his movement, somewhat puzzled, but instead of throwing questions at Rusty, he decided to pop his head into Sharon's office.

With his hands leaning on each side of the doorway he said, "Hey, we're back, Amy's waiting for you down by the morgue." he figured she had had her fill of personal for the day so he went straight to business.

"Hey," she replied, turning her head to look at him, slowly moving her gaze away from Rusty's figure now moving out of the murder room. "I'll be right there," she told him, looking back at the spot Rusty just vanished from.

He threw a look behind him, the rest of the team hadn't come in yet. Someone mentioned grabbing a bite to eat on their way back and Provenza was already in the break room looking for food with a dash of anything that wasn't Patrice's. "Is everything okay?" he looked back at her and entered her office. Maybe personal was okay for a few more minutes, he thought. "The kid?" he hooked his thumb in the direction of Rusty's hasty exit.

She leaned back in her chair, watching him closing the door now, still looking at at her. "Oh, I don't know," she let out on a sigh.

"He still ignoring the other Sharon?" He took a few steps and leaned on the chair in front of her desk.

"Yes, he's having a hard time reconciling her sobriety with this pregnancy," her eyes narrowed slightly, as if she was mulling something over.

His brows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"He doubts her ability to stay sober. If she couldn't stay sober for him, how would she be able to do it for another child's sake?" Her tone of voice was etched in such sadness, an almost breathless quality to it, he almost walked around her desk to draw her into a hug.

He humphed. There wasn't much he could say to that. He stood straight again and walked towards her, he placed his hands on the edge of her desk, deciding to lean on that this time. He'd been wondering about this for a while, and now seemed as good a time as any to ask her. "Do you want me to talk to him? You know, me being an alco-"

"Oh, no," she cut him off with a wave of her hand. "He'll think I've put you up to it. If he has questions he should come to you, or anyone else for that matter, if and when he feels like it."

He took a deep breath and straightened again. "Okay." He understood. It wasn't her who didn't want him to, he knew Rusty wouldn't want him to. And truth be told, he felt relieved she thought so. He didn't think Rusty would take kindly to it either. But he would've gotten over himself if necessary.

He waited a beat, in case she had more to say. When she didn't, he walked up to the door, opening it. "So, morgue?" Personal was over for now.

"Yes, tell Amy I'm on my way." She stood up, gathered her things and walked past him, gliding her hand down his arm before letting the Captain in her take over again.

* * *

Part 2

"I do. I most definitely do."

"So, knowing him, he'll probably be a while. I might as well clear the table then." Gus stood up, reaching for his and Rusty's plate.

"Oh, don't," Sharon put a hand on his to stop him. "Let me, it's the least I can do after this feast." Her hands waved over the leftover food on her dining table. She stood up and reached for the plates herself.

"It's not a problem." He took the two bowls instead. She eyed him, a look resembling amused impatience decorating her face. "Let me help at least?" he offered with a smile, followed by a shrug of his shoulder.

She just smiled at him and turned, or, with the way her hair swayed with the movement, maybe even twirled on her feet to proceed into the kitchen. He took it as a go-ahead and followed her.

"I really wish he would give his mom a chance." he said quietly. He put the leftover salad into the fridge and then headed back to the table again.

"Yes," Sharon rinsed the plates and turned to open the dishwasher. "I worry he will regret _not_ giving her a chance more than he would _giving_ her one." She put the plates onto the dishwasher rack and looked back at Gus. "Even if she ends up disappointing him."

"Again." Gus added, her red place mats and the bread in his hands now.

She hummed and leaned on the counter behind her for a moment. She couldn't deny it. She was wary of another disappointment herself. But the possible benefits of being part of his mother's life now far outweighed any of the dreaded disappointment should she make a mistake again. Maybe Gus's words will have an effect on Rusty. She eyed the young man moving around her kitchen. Gus was good to Rusty, she thought. She felt a slight relief wash over her, being able to reassure herself of that again. Rusty's qualms from a few weeks ago were still at the back of her mind. Yes, her opinionated Rusty was a bit of a handful, but, all things considered, he was happy. They both were. That was good enough for her.

She used her hands and pushed off the counter. She grabbed a towel to wipe down the table. But before either of them could say anything more, they heard Rusty's footsteps approaching them.

He stopped in front of Gus's, now unoccupied, chair and put his hands on the back of it, a startled, or _haunted_ , she wondered, expression on his face. Sharon stopped moving the towel under her hand over the table surface and looked at him quizzically.

"Buzz sent me the ATM video." was all he said in response. Gus turned around from where he was putting away the bread to look at him.

"Have you seen it?" Sharon asked him carefully. She straightened up, the hand holding the towel having moved up to join the one she worried would start fiddling with the uneasiness she started feeling at the news, if it didn't grasp something instead.

"Er," he looked down, "yeah."

And before Sharon could respond he added "I asked Buzz if it was okay to show it to you." He glanced up at her, now running the towel between the fingers of her hands which seemed eager to give away her uneasiness. "He said you have to see it." He slanted a look at Gus and rolled his eyes, "Something about rules," his look returned to settle on her again, "and you being the boss and all that."

Her lips turned upward for a moment as she slowly blinked and nodded. She put the towel down on the table. "Yes, I should watch it." She addressed Gus then. "You don't mind finishing up here?"

"Oh, no, don't worry about it," he waved his hand through the air. "Go ahead." He moved to take the towel.

"Have you talked to Buzz any more?" she asked Rusty as they walked down the hall to his room.

"He's still at work. I think Lieutenant Provenza is with him." He paused for a second as they entered his room. "I don't really know what to say to him. Can't imagine what seeing that," he waved his hand at his laptop, "must feel like."

She hummed noncommittally and moved to sit on Rusty's chair in front of his desk. "This is it?" She asked, seeing a paused video on the laptop's screen.

"Yeah," Rusty moved to hit the space bar, to play the video again.

He stood next to her and waited for the video to finish. He really didn't feel like watching it again so he looked at his feet instead.

"Okay," she said when it finished. She pushed the chair backwards and started getting up.

Rusty's head shot up to look at her. "What? That's it?" He looked at her incredulously.

"Yes, that's it." Her voice rose in pitch and carried a note of finality. She stood up and took a moment to regard him before she would turn to leave his room. "I am not discussing with you any details of this case, my thoughts on this tape included." Rusty looked ready to interrupt her, but she raised and waved her hand in warning. "I will have to discuss it with Buzz as his commanding officer. What he," she emphasized this with a pointed look, "decides to share with you is up to him then."

She then left the room to join Gus in the kitchen. She had asked Provenza to stay behind in case Buzz decided to watch the video that night. She was glad she had. Watching videos like those was difficult enough when you didn't know the victims. She could only imagine what it must feel like when you do know them. Buzz could turn to Provenza tonight if he needed to.

Tomorrow though she would talk to Buzz herself. And not only to discuss what to do about the case now.

With that final thought, she turned the corner to rejoin Gus in her kitchen. Rusty will follow soon enough. After all, she was only following the rules.

* * *

 _ **In his email, Buzz said he and Sharon agreed Rusty could watch the tape. I don't know if this is supposed to mean she had already seen it. Either way, since there's no definitive proof of her having seen it, I'm working under the assumption that she hadn't. I hope you don't mind.**_

 _ **And yeah, as always, happy to hear your thoughts on this!**_

 ** _[_** _ **And please ignore (or correct) my mistakes!]**_


	4. 5x04

_**I think some fanfiction had them discuss the house with Andy there. But the way Rusty phrased his issue to Andy and the way he spoke about home with Buzz had me thinking that Rusty would only really discuss it in a private one-on-one convo with Sharon. I don't think that will change, whether he grows more chummy with Andy or not. Ultimately, Sharon is his go to person, no matter how many sounding boards he turns to until getting to her. Only once he reaches her, is his mind really set.**_

* * *

Rusty held the door to the condo open for her. She slipped inside past him to place her coat and purse on the coat rack in front of her. He entered as well, kicked off his shoes and proceeded to flop down on the couch in their living room.

Sharon headed for the kitchen.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked him, already busy with putting on some water and looking for mugs.

"Yeah, sure." He reached for the remote and turned on the TV.

Andy had just dropped them off after their not so successful visit with the realtor. Since Sharon wanted to talk to Rusty, he gave them some space and headed home. He would be coming over for dinner later though.

* * *

After they wrapped up their case, Andy came knocking on her office door. She told him to come in and one look at him had her recognize that something was up. As he was walking up to the chairs in front of her desk, he was rubbing his chin with his right hand. It was a dead give away as to his state of mind.

She offered him a smile, but raised an eyebrow in question.

He looked around her office, even though they were alone and both doors were closed, blinds drawn as well. "Erm," he started, "I had an interesting talk with Rusty."

"About his mother?" she tensed up in her chair, the smile disappearing from her face.

"Oh, no, not about that." He pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down. "I thought you told him us deciding to look for a house wasn't his, what did you call it, 30 days' notice?" He looked uncomfortable, as if he'd rather deal with Sharon Beck than with what he was about to.

"What do you mean?" she frowned. "Of course it wasn't. And yes, I told him."

"Well," he adjusted in his chair, a hand moving to rub the back of his head, "he asked me if I thought he was in the way of us moving in together."

Surprise replaced her frown. Her eyes widened for just a moment, then her shoulders loosened up. "So what did you tell him?" Despite her posture, her voice indicated Rusty's question bothered her more than she was willing to let on.

"First, I hinted you might be," he flashed her a smile, humor should help to put her unspoken worry at ease, he hoped, and made a show of carefully choosing his next word, " _displeased_ , if you thought I wanted to get rid of him." Her lips curved into a small smile for a second. "And then I offered to check out this house together, to see if it was a good fit for us. For all three of us."

"Okay," she started, a deliberate pace in her utterance, but he cut in, his right hand coming on top of the desk in front of him, as he moved closer to lean on it, his right shoulder moving slightly up as well. "You know I'm not trying to get rid of him, right?" His head moved in a firm nod and he pinned her with a determined look. Something bothered her, and he worried the same thought that crossed Rusty's mind had crossed her's.

"Of course I do." her voice raised slightly, in what he would never dare call defensiveness. He settled for emphasis instead. "It's not that." She turned in her chair and, tensing up a bit, waited a beat, looking at him before continuing. "I'm just surprised he would even think that. I really thought he was just uncomfortable with the idea of having you around all the time." She waved a hand in the air. "You know how he is."

He huffed and nodded, falling back in his chair, his hand sliding down the desk to cover his knee. "Yeah. I mean you're legally his mother now. Why would he worry about that? I couldn't get rid of him now, even if I wanted to." He shrugged. "Besides, he's family."

He hoped it would assure her, perhaps even elicit another smile from her, but she looked away from him, that far away look of hers gracing her face. "Yes, why _would_ he worry about that?" she asked, herself more than him.

"So," he knew better than to ask what was on her mind. She'd talk to Rusty about it first, so he moved to the next matter at hand. "How about I get hold of the realtor and we go see that house tomorrow then?"

She turned her head to look at him again. "Yes, just let me know when. Will you pick us up?"

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

So now, having seen the house, she decided to take the opportunity to get to the bottom of Rusty's worries. Carrying two mugs filled with coffee she walked back into the living room, and folded herself into the orange chair next to the couch. The look she gave Rusty as she passed him a mug told him she had something on her mind. He reached for the remote to mute the TV before she even started talking.

"Andy mentioned you two talked yesterday." It was so like her to just cut to the chase, he thought.

"Yeah," he shifted on the couch, turning to face her fully. She took it as a sign that he wanted to talk about it, or was at least tolerating _her_ need to.

"You do know that the two of us are a packaged deal for Andy?" She smiled at Rusty remembering the first time Andy referred to them as that.

He shifted again, this time looking down at his mug, a thumb following the edge of it. "I do," he paused, took a quick, maybe even exasperated breath and looked at her again. "I guess, I just wanted to, uh..." He didn't finish the sentence, he didn't really know what he wanted.

"You wanted to...?" She trailed off, her voice rising in pitch slightly. Of course she wouldn't try to finish the sentence for him. He'd have to find the words himself.

"Look, this is home." he waved his hands around the living room. "I just don't want to have to move into a place with him," he made a face, "if he will only put up with me because of you."

"Oh, Rusty," she said on a sigh. She put her coffee down on the table and turned in her chair. She slanted a look at him to make sure he was paying attention. "You're family." she said simply, in that calm, smooth voice of hers. "I may be your family legally, but the team is family, too. And that goes for Andy as well."

Rusty remained quiet, obviously still not convinced. "Look," she shook her head, making sure the movement threw her hair back so her face was fully visible to him before she went on. "Buying a new house does not mean we're _changing_ homes." He looked baffled at that now, but she ignored him and pressed on. "It means we will just make more room for it." She paused for emphasis, but also to take a breath to help steady her voice, which she worried might waver. "Home isn't just this condo, Rusty. You are my home, too." He narrowed her eyes at her. She said it with such a happy nonchalance, but it did little to convince him. "And Emily and Ricky are, too. _Family_ makes this place home, Rusty." He relaxed, and his eyebrows hopped up and down as he mulled that statement over. What Buzz had said made more sense now, too. "And I hope," she took another breath, a deeper one this time, "that you can make room for Andy in that home, too." She didn't _need_ his approval, it was her business after all. But she could hope for his support. Well, approval, too, if she was being perfectly honest with herself. She really did not need it, but she _wanted_ it, she realized.

He nodded, more to himself than her. She gave him a moment to collect his thoughts. "Did you?" he finally asked. "Make room for him, I mean?"

"Yes." She answered without hesitation, her voice steady in its conviction.

"Okay." He nodded again. Again more to himself than her. "I can live with that." He nodded some more.

She let go of a breath she was hardly aware of holding in and slumped into her chair. As much as it was imaginable for Sharon Raydor to slump at all. "Okay," she echoed his words.

"I guess we really do need another bathroom." He cocked his head, apparently lost in thought, but a mischievous air about him. "I can handle the amount of time _you_ spend in the bathroom, but I barely survived _his_ last year." He couldn't contain his smile now as he looked at her. "I can only hold it in for so long, you know."

And she laughed. No, she snort-laughed and he joined her in her laughter. When she sobered, she had to make sure and asked, "So, you're okay?" she waved a hand behind her, as if pointing to Andy, who by now was well on his way home. "With us, the three of us, moving in together?"

He took a long, deep breath and let his head bob up and down once more. "Yeah," he leaned on the back of the couch and reached for the remote again. "I'll survive."

* * *

She got up to open the door, a smile on her face. She knew who it was. Punctual as ever. 6 pm. Right on the dot. "Hi," she said once she opened the door.

"Hi," he smiled as well, take out bags dangling from his hands, and leaned down to drop a kiss on her smile.

She moved to the side to let him inside. "So?" There was no need to voice his entire question.

"He's in his room, he'll be joining us for dinner." She closed the door and followed him to the dining table. "Gus is working," she added as an afterthought and turned to her kitchen to grab some utensils.

As if on cue, Rusty showed up. "Oh, I didn't hear the door." He stopped near the end of the couch. "Hi, Lieuten-," Sharon shot him a look from where she was standing behind Andy. "Andy," he corrected. They were still working on the whole first name thing. It was just weird, addressing him as Lieutenant at work and Sharon wanting him to address him as Andy outside of it.

"Hey," Andy was taking the boxes out of the bags he had deposited on the table. "I got Thai for Sharon and burgers for the two of us." He made a face as if waiting for Sharon to voice her disapproval. When none came, Rusty chuckled.

"Nice." Rusty approached the table and took a seat.

Andy slanted an incredulous 'this is actually going well' look at Sharon, who, not as inconspicuously as she would have liked, was listening to them intently, utensils for her Thai food ready for a while now. When they met each other's gazes, she smiled and nodded, just barely.

More than halfway through dinner, during a lull in the conversation, Rusty said, "So, toxic mold?"

Andy, who had been busy gazing at Sharon, who was in turn busy dabbing a napkin at the corner of her mouth, a mischievous glint in her eyes, broke out of his reverie and shot a look at Rusty.

"Yeah, yeah," he shook his head. "Not the best choice for a new place." He shot a look at Sharon, who was now openly smiling at him. "Trust me, I know."

Rusty laughed. It had merely been an attempt to broach the subject he was sure both Andy and Sharon avoided all evening on purpose. He thought maybe it was time for him to extend an olive branch of his own now. "I'm sure you do." He threw his mother an amused look, who had what he privately called a poker face in place. He cleared his throat before continuing. He had finished his burger and was picking at the leftover fries now. "I wanted to ask you if," he cleared his throat again and took a breath. Andy looked at him with an amused, almost-smile. Did Rusty know he picked that habit up from his adoptive mother? "when you pick a house," he waved his hand, stalling, "you would let me decide on one thing?" He looked between the two as they shared a look. One of _those_ looks, he thought, and mentally groaned.

It was Sharon who spoke up after her brief moment of quiet deliberation with Andy. "Well, that depends on the thing." She arched an eyebrow at him. She was holding back a smile, too.

He fidgeted in his seat, his gaze following the fries he was still toying with. "I know, I'll move out eventually," he started, "but would it be okay if I got to choose how we decorate my room?" He looked up at Sharon and added in a hurried voice, "I've never really been able to. Not with my other mom, and well, here the room was basically all done. I mean, I did add posters and-"

Sharon's face broke into a wide, albeit pensive smile and she put her hand on top of his fidgeting ones to get his attention as she interrupted him. Rusty was almost all grown up, attending college, but for a moment she again saw that angry, scared, distrustful boy she met almost 5 years ago. For all his bluster and usual confidence, his fears resurfaced every now and then, even after all he's accomplished in the meantime. "Of course, don't worry about it. Yes, you can have a say in how to decorate your new room."

He was gearing up for further arguments before her words registered in his mind and he relaxed into his seat, loosening his shoulders he didn't realize had stiffened up so much. "Oh, okay, that's," he took a breath and looked at the both of them, "that's great."

"We will have to settle on a budget though." The words left Andy's mouth and Rusty looked at him, a shocked expression on his face.

"What? We will!" Andy said defensively, shoulders shrugging and his brow furrowing, surprised by Rusty's reaction, who pulled himself together rather quickly though. "Oh, no, it's okay, yeah, of course, it's just that," Rusty threw a glance at Sharon who seemed as surprised as Andy, although was much more subtle about showing it, "I'd have expected her to insist on that."

Andy barked a laugh at him. " _Her_ is sitting right next to you." she gave him a pointed a look, although she couldn't contain her own smile. "And I agree with Andy, budget will have to be discussed."

Rusty rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know." He gave up on his fries. "So, may I be excused? I was planning on working on my next Identity post before turning in." He started getting up and by the time Sharon got to finish her "Of course, go ahead," he was already passing by her living room couch, mumbling a barely decipherable "Thanks."

"Hmm," Andy sighed, leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap, "that's progress."

Sharon returned her gaze from the spot Rusty had just abandoned and directed it at Andy. A smile was playing at her lips and her eyes crinkled with what could only be classified as joy. "Yes, it certainly is."

Andy got up and started clearing the table. "I guess dinner's over, too."

"Yes, thank you." She stood up to help. It was a thank you for much more than dinner, he knew.

"My pleasure," he replied, a crooked grin playing at his own lips.

* * *

 ** _So, what do you think? A plausible scene (or scenes)?_**

 ** _And this last bit I see as a way of Rusty letting Andy in on his reservations (in a roundabout way) and making a conscious effort to show he is no longer that wary of Shandy's plans. They're not exploring it that much on the show, so I wanted to see how I could explore it myself then._**

 ** _I know I've been focusing a lot on Rusty in these (I think I won't always, we'll see), but he's been given so much on screen time in those first episodes of the season, with so little real insight into why he's acting the way he is, that I just had to let my imagination run wild to try to give those_ why _s a_ because _or two._**


	5. 5x05

She nearly bumped into Julio as she turned a corner in the hallway.

"Oh, sorry, Ma'am," he said, stopping in his tracks to avoid colliding with her.

Startled, she looked up at him, having stopped in her own tracks. "Oh, don't worry about it. I should watch where I'm going," she smiled and waved a hand through the air. If she didn't know better she would say Julio looked a little rattled. He had been on edge because of DCFS, but so far hadn't seemed that out of sorts. She looked down the hallway. "Er," his appearance had distracted her, "have you seen Rusty? Buzz told me he ran out of the murder room."

He offered her a tight smile, straightened up and put his hands behind his back. "Yes, Ma'am, I just saw him." He paused for a moment, as if deciding whether to mention anything or not. "I think he just tried to make my case in front of Cynthia," he said through a chuckle.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "He did?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded.

She cocked her head at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "High praise, I hope?"

"I think so, yes." He shifted his weight from one foot to another, and glanced at the floor for a moment.

He _was_ rattled, she thought. "Is everything alright, Julio?" She knew he was worried about Cynthia's interviews, but she was fairly certain he would be cleared for fostering. She couldn't imagine him doubting himself too much either. But then again this opportunity did mean a lot to him.

He nodded again. "Yes, Ma'am." As succinct as ever, she thought.

"Okay then." She looked around again. Knowing Julio, it didn't do to press him with questions. He would share if he felt he needed to. "I had better find Rusty, then."

She turned to leave, but his "Captain?" had her turn back to him instead.

"Yes, Julio?" She regarded him. He was more tense than usually. Understandable under the circumstances, but it was still slightly unnerving, considering his otherwise calm, controlled and collected demeanor. Not that he was fidgety now, but he wasn't _really_ calm, that much was clear.

He squared his shoulders and looked at her, that determined look of his dancing across his features. "Thank you," was all he said.

Now this threw her completely. Her eyes widened, her brows drew together, all in less than a second before she settled for a more curious expression. "What for, Julio?"

"For having my back. For tolerating my being late." He went silent for a moment and his eyes flickered to his feet, then back to her eyes, before adding, "I apologize for being distracted, Ma'am."

She didn't do this often, least of all with Julio, but she lightly patted his shoulder and ran her hand down his arm. "It's not an issue, Julio." She fixed him with a pointed look. "And I know this is only temporary."

He scoffed. "Yes, I hope so. Lieutenant Provenza's been on my case about it. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

She laughed at him. "Oh, Lieutenant Provenza has been on my case for 5 _years_ now." The amusement that crossed her face had Julio's shoulders shaking in silent laughter. "His way of showing he cares," she added, an air of lightheartedness about her. Anyone else, and he would have expected her to wink, which she didn't, of course. But her eyes did sparkle with amusement.

Her features turned more somber after a moment. "You don't have anything to worry about. I am confident Cynthia will deem you fit for being a foster parent." Her expression softened. "And once you become one, we'll make sure you manage, with work and everything else your foster child might throw at you." Her piercing gaze of, what he chose to interpret as her utmost faith in him, a hint of determination, too, underlined her words.

He relaxed slightly, his hands leaving his back to hang loosely at his sides. "I appreciate that."

Briefly she considered telling him about the medal of valor, even though it wasn't her place to do so. Chief Taylor was set to announce it. Instead she offered him a sympathetic smile. "Should you have any questions or be in need of some friendly advice, my door is always open, Julio." She pinned him with a knowing look and shrugged. "Being a foster parent can sometimes be a juggling act. Especially in our line of business."

At that, Rusty entered the hallway. Upon seeing Sharon, he shrugged, "Buzz said you were looking for me?"

She gave Julio a look that clearly meant "Case in point." and turned to face Rusty. "Yes," she held up a finger, indicating he should wait a second, she would be right with him. Returning her focus to Julio, she raised an eyebrow at him and smiled softly.

He gave her a solemn nod. "I know, Ma'am." And with that he turned to walk back into the murder room.

Her gaze followed him until he disappeared from view. The wistful aura that sometimes seemed to surround her detective hit her in full force, overwhelming her even. She made a mental note to keep him in her prayers. He deserved some light in his life, she thought. If fostering was the light he was looking for, he most definitely deserved it.

"Mom?" Rusty broke her out of her thoughts.

"Yes, Rusty," and with that she went to tend to her own, albeit former, foster child.

* * *

 ** _Okay, this was hard to write. It's also rather short. But with a not so talkative Julio, not surprising? He is such an enigma sometimes. I want Sharon to be supportive of him. He's quite protective of her. Not to mention his respect for her. I simply feel that, considering her own experience in fostering, the two of them would share a moment or two talking about it. I would consider this maybe being one of them._**

 ** _Hit me with your reviews! ;)_**

 ** _And thank you so much for reading!_**


	6. 5x06

_**Maybe this will seem a bit out of character, although I've tried very hard to keep it in character, but after 5x04, I have a feeling she knows how to get what she wants from her man. This is the result of me trying to explore that. **_

_**The scene takes place before the final day of their case with those Brits. Dinner (and a sleepover?) at Sharon's.**_

 _ **So go ahead, give it a read and tell me what you think.**_

* * *

"I think we should do something to celebrate Mike's award."

How those words, uttered in such a warm, sincere voice, with an almost dreamy quality to it, could stop the fork which was on his way to his mouth in mid air, and increase his heart rate, should, logically, be beyond him. But then he remembered 'Badge of Justice' and he knew how. He angrily continued the movement of his fork and met the bite it carried with equal fervor.

"Really?" He didn't mean for the word to sound so annoyed and exasperated. He mentally winced having realized that the casual and matter-of-fact tone he was aiming for, was non-existent.

"Yes, really." If he wasn't a grown man much closer to his old rather than middle age than he cared to admit, he'd have put his head down in a way which could only be described as that of a child resigned to listen to his mother's scolding. He tried an "Okay." instead. He mentally patted himself on the back. He sounded much more casual this time around.

If only Sharon bought it. "What is it with you and Badge of Justice?" She had given up on her dinner now. They would have to talk about this, he knew.

"Nothing," his voice raised defensively so he shrugged his shoulders in hopes of appearing nonchalant.

His hopes didn't come to fruition. "Mike has every right to be proud of his work." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And I think it would be nice if we, the team, would celebrate his success." She pushed the plate in front of her away from her and folded her hands neatly on top of the table.

He knew he couldn't win this one. "Look, I'm happy for the guy, okay?" He punctuated his words by gently pressing the fingers of his hand on the table. "But the show sucks." And before she could retort he hastily added, "Besides, do I really have to hear about it all the time?"

Her narrowed eyes relaxed, and a smile graced her lips. He should've ended at 'sucks', he realized. "You don't have to," she started gently. "And you really don't hear a _lot_ about it." She gave him a pointed look. "But does Mike have to listen to you huff and puff about it every _occasional_ time the show gets mentioned?"

Oh. She had a point. He does complain about it a lot. And it really isn't like he's not happy for Mike. But did it really have to be mentioned all the time? Occasionally, he corrected himself. She was right. Of course she was. It wasn't _all_ the time. But it sure felt like it sometimes. And he behaved like a sulky teenager because of it.

Suddenly he felt as if he was sucker punched.

"Andy?" her voice and her hand on his arm, cut through the haze of his thoughts. "Where did you go?"

"I just realized something." His eyes grew wide in horror as he looked into hers. Her brows drew together, she had no idea what he could have possibly realized.

"I turned into Rusty," he whispered, as if afraid someone might overhear them. Rusty certainly wouldn't. He was out with Gus.

She squeezed his arm and smiled. "I'm sorry, Andy, but I don't follow."

"You're right." He had to give her credit, her smile remained intact, no trace of a 'of course I'm right' look. "I complain about this all the time. I've turned into Rusty!" His hands flew up and flopped down on the table.

She burst out laughing. "Oh," her voice slightly elevated in pitch, "you have, a little bit." Her hand caressed his arm gently.

He shot her an exasperated, sarcastic "well, thank you very much" look. "Laugh it up, yeah." He shook his head sarcastically. "Just laugh it up."

She stood up. She felt walking might help to ease the laughter that was threatening to dissolve into giggles. "I'm sorry." She stepped closer to him, having pulled herself together again. She leaned down and gave his cheek a quick kiss. "Don't worry, you are not Rusty." She pulled back, reached for her plate and waved her hair back as she started making her way back into the kitchen. "Trust me," her voice took on a low timbre. The one that did things to him.

He shuddered and got up as well. Chill, he mentally chided himself. He grabbed his own plate and followed her. She took his plate and rinsed both of them, before returning them to him to put into the dishwasher. She leaned on the kitchen sink counter, hands gripping its edges, and eyed his movements. When he closed the dishwasher, he turned to her. "Well, I certainly hope so." He offered her a cocky grin and kissed her.

When they pulled apart, her hands still gripping the counter's edge, head turned upwards to look at him, she said, "So how about a cake for Mike?"

He rolled his eyes and took a step back. "Sure, let's draw a badge on it and write 'Badge of Justice' on it," he replied sarcastically.

Her eyes lit up at his words. "Oh, yes, that's an excellent idea, Andy!" She pecked him on the lips, patted his chest and moved out of the kitchen. He stood there for a second, wondering what exactly had just happened, before his brain kicked into gear and told his feet to follow her.

"Wait, what?" he asked. She was busy getting crumbs off the table.

"We'll have cake. And balloons," she headed to the trashcan to dispose of the crumbs. "And drinks."

Andy leaned against the back of his chair. Sharon and her sense of occasion. He would be slightly annoyed by it if he didn't find it utterly adorable. Not that he would ever tell her that. His face settled on a secretive smile and then he said, "Sure, how does apple cider sound?"

He could tell she was well aware of the sarcastic undertone his words carried, _and_ that she chose to ignore it. "Yes, apple cider. I'm sure Lieutenant Provenza will love it." She rubbed her hands together, getting rid of any remaining crumbs on them.

This time Andy burst out laughing. "I might just be down for this party after all."

She walked toward him and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the living room, aiming for the couch. She couldn't hide her mischievous smile at that image: Provenza, a party, and no alcohol. Her smile only turned wider imagining Andy's smug look at that.

When they sat down she turned to address him, a more stoic expression in her features now. "I'll figure something out with the rest of the team. We'll work out the details tomorrow." That settled it, they would celebrate Mike's award. "But I still think you could work on your Badge of Justice outbursts." Her voice took on a wistful note, and he knew she really felt bad about Mike being made fun of so much.

"Mike knows I'm not being serious." His shoulders slumped as he continued, "Maybe a bit jealous," she quirked an amused eyebrow at him, "but it's all in good fun." She didn't seem convinced. Her face took on that expression she usually had when she knew she was about to get what she wanted. The one where, beneath a somber look of patience, one could tell an expectant smile was waiting. Rusty was often on the receiving end of that expression, but he grew familiar with it, too. He had the pleasure of seeing it mostly at work. It seemed he would be exposed to it outside of work for once as well. "Look, I can't promise I won't _huff_ and _puff_ about it," he threw her a look, "but I will try to tone it down, okay?" Her face pulled a smug look now, eyes sparkling, a smile fighting to spread across her face, her forehead crinkling a bit with the effort to keep it in check. "Happy now?" He meant to sound impatient and irritated, but the amusement in his tone was unmistakable.

Her face broke into a full blown smile. She grabbed the remote control, leaned into his side, taking extra care, and time, to make herself comfortable as she leaned her head on his shoulder and turned on the TV. He could only watch her with raised eyebrows and a lazy, amused smile, as he stretched out his arm over the back of the couch to help her settle in. "Yes," she nodded. "Very."

His final thought, as the discussion had clearly been put to rest for the time being, was very reminiscent of what a certain former Deputy Chief would huff and puff at times; that _woman_. Only when he thought it, he couldn't wipe the stupid smile off his face.


	7. 5x07

_**I wish Sharon dealing with the responsibility of her position and how it relates to her relationship with Andy was examined a bit more. This episode (and 5x10 later) seemed like the perfect opportunity for it. An opportunity Duff, of course, didn't use. XD**_

 _ **So here's my take on it.**_

* * *

It had been a long day. Turning in early sounded heavenly to her. Just how heavenly was evident in the long sigh she let out as she finally slipped under her comforter. It had been a _really_ long day, she thought to herself as she turned to her side, propping her head on an elbow.

"You know, days like today almost make me hate the rules." She kept her tone low and steady, but with an almost breathless quality to it, giving away how exhausted she was. More mentally than physically.

"Is that so?" He had already made himself cozy under her comforter while she went to check whether she locked her front door. He turned onto his side, mirroring her by propping his own head on an elbow in order to face her. His voice carried a slightly amused undertone, but he knew there was more to her words than met the eye.

"Almost," she reiterated, suppressing a smile. She let her hand follow a path down his forearm before settling it on the top of his hand that was pressed to his other side. "Sending my team into the line of fire was never easy." Her gaze followed the movement of her fingers that were now slowly dancing over his hand. "But it still surprises me that it's gotten more difficult."

He took a hold of her hand, stilling it. "We're okay. His wife might kill him, but Provenza's okay, too." He squeezed her hand. "I'm okay."

She tore her gaze away from their hands, a faint smile crossing her face, and sought out his eyes. "I know."

She didn't usually lament like this over their actions during a case. And even now, she knew everything was done by the book. But she couldn't help reliving that moment when she heard those shots and the way her stomach tied up in a painful knot, threatening to overwhelm her for just a brief second before her training and experience kicked in and jump started her to continue acting accordingly.

"It's not the first time," he said softly.

She nodded. No, it wasn't. Amy got hurt. Julio got hurt. Andy got hurt. Provenza got hurt. Really, the list just kept getting bigger and bigger. The potential danger she exposed her team to with every decision she made was something she dealt with on a daily basis. It would always rattle her. Whether it was just a close call or somebody actually did get hurt. She made her peace with that. As their commanding officer she had no other choice. And frankly, she'd be less of a police officer if it didn't bother her. However, it hadn't gotten easier. And she knew _why_ it had gotten more difficult. The culprit was sharing her bed as if to taunt her. Not that he was. Earlier she had made a rather selfish decision of driving to the hotel with Andy instead of letting him ride with Provenza as usually. She couldn't, and wouldn't, replace him in the field with somebody else, but she indulged in having him for herself for a few moments before sending all of them into what turned out to be a hail of bullets.

"No, it's not." She pulled her knees up, bending her legs, as if curling into herself would help matters. "I'm glad you're okay," she practically whispered.

He let go of her hand and reached his arm out for her. When his hand landed on her hip, he pulled her closer and she went willingly. "It's the job." He couldn't help her much, when a mood like this took over her, but he knew she dealt in facts. So facts he offered. He practically shuddered remembering what he had put her through after his dust up with the car. It's how he knew she would take a moment to let the reality of it all sink in. Again. And she would be okay. Again.

It was the job. One they were very good at, she had to admit. Otherwise, who knew how many of those close calls could have been much more nerve wrecking than they really were.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." She suspected she sounded like a pouting child. She took in Andy's face, a smile spreading over it. Yes, she definitely sounded like a pouting child. He remained quiet, however, his only form of support the hand still resting on her hip, a thumb drawing circles on it. He knew her so well by now and wouldn't push. She smiled to herself. Taking a deep breath and readjusting her head in her hand she said, "I definitely don't like it."

The firm, steady voice in which she said it let them both know that for now she was done chasing down that particular avenue of thoughts.

"So," a grin settled on his face, "did you really have to freak Taylor out like that?" He made himself more comfortable, pulling her even closer to him.

She blinked at him. She was done with mulling over their workday but she hadn't expected _that_ turn in conversation. But it was so typically Andy that she couldn't help but let out a giggle. He loved that sound, he's told her plenty of times, so when he joined her in her laughter, the corners of his eyes crinkling, the eyes themselves sparkling in amusement, she let that warm feeling of being okay, of being safe, of being cared for wash over her, envelop her. The feeling was much cozier than her bed and comforter ever would be.

"Well," she said at length, "we will have to report another change in our status soon enough. New address you know," she smiled happily. "He deserved a heads up." She shrugged innocently and moved her arm over his, the thumb of her hand drawing patterns on the inside of his elbow.

"Sure he did." In truth, he could care less about what Taylor needed to know. He only mentioned it to get her mind elsewhere. And to put a smile on her face. He felt awfully proud of himself for having succeeded.

It must have shown on his face for she asked, "What?"

He pulled his poker face, if he even had one, he wasn't sure he did, not around her at least, and shrugged his shoulder. "Nothing."

She looked far from convinced but decided to let it go. "I never thought of Chief Taylor as a topic of pillow talk." To the inexperienced eye, she'd have sounded completely serious, maybe with a hint of reproach even, but to his much more experienced one, she looked about ready to burst into another fit of giggles. That merry glint in her eyes gave her away.

His face remained remarkably serious, too, but, with the slight narrowing of his eyes, she could tell his wheels were turning. He moved his hand off her hip, up her side, over her arm and shoulder until it reached her cheek, and leaned in. In a voice that resembled a growl, with an undertone of what anybody else would worry was intimidation, but in reality was playfulness, he said, "We're nowhere even close to pillow talk yet, my dear." He closed the distance between them and kissed her just as the fit of giggles finally burst out of her.

He was okay. She was okay. They were okay. Better than okay, she thought as he pulled her on top of him.

Very, very much better.

* * *

 _ **Just a somewhat fluffy piece. Thoughts?**_

 _ **And as always, thanks for reading and sorry about any mistakes! Not a native speaker over here.**_


	8. 5x08

**_I wanted two more things in this episode. First of all, would expanding that scene with Andy at the condo after Rusty left for bed, have killed them? Apparently it would've, so I had to do it myself. And secondly, I wanted a Shandy conversation about Rusty deciding to support his mom in staying with Gary's parents to happen (and more). So I did that myself, too. I like Shandy, the police parents._**

* * *

Here's my _first of all._

"...the question we need to ask is, was there anyone who wanted this young man dead?"

She looked back down at the folder in her hands, but he reached out his arm and gently closed it.

She moved her head up and threw him a look. She narrowed her eyes at him then raised an eyebrow. "I take it you have a reason for this?" Her eyes flickered to the now closed folder.

"Well, yeah." He quietly grunted as he started getting to his feet and he reached for the folder. Once stood, he threw it haphazardly on the coffee table in front of him and flopped down on the couch next to her. "We can look for that someone tomorrow." He threw his arm across the back of the couch and turned to face her. She had turned to lean on the pillow in the corner of the couch, between its back and armrest, watching him with an amused smile on her face. Her now empty hands were neatly folded in her lap. She was obviously indulging him.

"Is that so?" The rise in the timbre of her voice gave away her playfulness.

"Yes, that's _so_." He crossed his legs, an ankle over a knee, and leaned back so he could let his head fall down on the back of the couch. He knew how to make himself at home here. "That's enough shop talk. My boss doesn't like mixing personal with professional." He rolled his head over the edge of the couch to look at her. He didn't even bother hiding what must have been a stupid grin on his face.

"So I hear." She managed to hide her own grin, but the way her jaw tightened and the corners of her eyes crinkled at the effort, gave her away.

"And as it so happens, it's getting late, you should get home. Your boss doesn't like you being late for work either, I believe."

She said it in such a serious, almost professional 'this is the end of this conversation' voice, that he straightened up and looked at her, her previously hidden grin now completely absent. He'd be less surprised if she had instructed the team to forgo the Miranda warning from now on. She invited him over, to _stay_ over, what's with the sudden change of plans, he worried. He could usually tell when she was pulling his leg, but he saw no indication of that this time, and even though she had never just kicked him out, which he should have taken as a good sign, his mind remained in overdrive mode. And then, the shock that settled on his face, had her face erupt in a full blown smile.

"Oh," he deflated, leaned back and relaxed, letting his arm move across the back of the couch again, "you had me there for a second."

"You think?" She couldn't control the snort that escaped her.

When she calmed down; he wasn't looking at her, faux hurt called for faux pouting instead; she folded her legs underneath her and put her hands on his thigh, leaning slightly on him. It got his attention and when he saw her now composed and much too serious expression on her face, he quirked a curious eyebrow at her.

"Since when are you this insecure?" she asked, genuine surprise accompanying her words.

He turned his head to look at her. Now that he thought about it, his panicky reaction really was uncalled for. He knew her better than that. Besides, after her "Fine." now more than a year ago, there had been very few insecure moments between them. He could also read her so well by now and she him, that there was very little room for those insecurities anyway.

He must have remained quiet far too long for her liking because she spoke again, tentatively, "We'll take Jared's accusations seriously. Nicole knows that."

How she did that will forever be beyond him. She hit the nail on the head before he could even realize something was wrong let alone put a finger on _what_ was wrong. And now he, too, figured out what bugged him. He worried Nicole wouldn't take his word for it if Jared was wrong even if they _proved_ he was. And if they did, how on earth was he supposed to tell her that? He was bearer, even cause, of enough bad news in her life. Things were better with Nicole, much better, but the seed of doubt always lingered and now it started growing weeds without him even noticing.

"I hope so," was all he could say in reply, looking away from her.

One of her hands moved in a gentle caress over his thigh. "She does, Andy. Don't sell yourself short. She wouldn't have asked you to look into it if she didn't trust you."

She was making sense. Of course she was. "That doesn't mean I won't hate it if I disappoint her." He looked back at her, as if his tone of voice alone didn't convey just how true he felt that was.

She caressed his thigh again. "Jared will disappoint her then. Not you," she told him, in a stern voice, one she often employed with Rusty, eyes locked on his for emphasis.

Again, she was making sense. He'll try not to feel like being a disappointment then, he resolved. "You're right. I'm being stupid, you're right."

She laughed at him. "No, Andy," she said on a happy sigh, her laughter ebbing away, "you're just being a dad." Another caress on his thigh.

He joined in her laughter. "I guess I am."

There was moment of silence during which she became increasingly fidgety, if the way she slightly swayed forwards and backwards, her hands still on his thigh, was anything to go by. "He's going with her for her sonogram." She finally said as she was taking a breath, making the words sound slightly hollow, but the pride and excitement in them still unmistakable. The squeeze of her hands on his thigh hinted at it as well.

He nodded happily, moving his arm from the back of the couch to cover her hands with his. "He is, that's more progress."

He looked at her. She wasn't hiding her smile. "Yes. I think he'll have a lot to think about after the appointment."

"Hmm," he looked away for a moment, rubbing a finger of his other hand against his chin, "maybe seeing the baby for himself gives him some perspective."

"Maybe," she said in an almost sing song voice, telling him she was actually certain that it would.

"Come here," he said. Not waiting for a reaction, he pulled her closer to him so that she was leaning against him, her head against his shoulder and his arm now draped around her, his hand settling on her hip. "He'll do the right thing."

She nodded, her far away look telling him that, of that, she wasn't yet convinced.

"He usually does," he added.

"He usually does," she echoed and nodded again, with more conviction this time.

She then leaned toward the table and reached for the folder. When she settled in next to him again, he gave her a puzzled look. "Like it or not, I actually have a few more questions," she explained, opening the folder.

Of course she had, he thought to himself. She wouldn't let go of a mystery until she cracked it, he knew. He shook his head at her. "Okay, hit me."

* * *

And this is my _secondly_.

"Where's Rusty?" He was standing in the hallway waiting for her to get into her heels. A green v-neck shirt and black jeans. Anybody else would be putting on some flats to go with that outfit. But she wasn't anybody else. Of course it would be heels in her case. He snickered to himself having realized that, in his light green t-shirt combined with a pair of washed out blue jeans, he matched her perfectly. It was Saturday and with a little luck they were set to have the entire weekend off. And to start the weekend, they decided to go out for breakfast together.

"He's off to Cathedral City," she informed him as she grabbed her purse and headed to the door.

That was news. She hadn't mentioned anything, but then again they haven't really talked since they bid each other goodbye and headed to their respective homes yesterday after work.

He followed her through the door, and as she was locking it he said, a note of incredulity in his voice, "With his other mother?"

She turned around, throwing the key into her purse. They made their way toward the elevator. "Yes," she stated simply. Happily, too. She threw her chin up, sending her hair through the air with the movement as she continued walking. There was such an air of "I'm so happy, I was right and he did the right thing" surrounding her that he couldn't help the rumble of laughter that escaped him.

She shot him an inquisitive look as the elevator doors pinged open. She also seemed to be moving at a faster pace, still as graceful as ever, but slightly less coordinated and calculated. He was sure if he didn't know her so well by now, that he wouldn't have noticed it at all. But since he did, it really was amusing to watch. Sharon with a spring to her step, he chuckled this time. "What's with the change of heart?" he asked. He had no intention of explaining his amusement.

They entered the elevator and, after pressing the button to take them to the garage, she turned to look at him. "Andy, did he talk to you?" And before he could open his mouth in response she continued, "The other day he was going on about how he worried she might just one day get up and decide to walk away. And he complained about the sonogram clouding his judgement. He seemed genuinely touched that his mom would give up this baby girl in order to stay closer to him," she took a deep breath. He has never heard her say so much at once. Or that quickly. Or with that much gesticulation. Not that the occasional wave of a hand between sentences is considered a lot. But with Sharon, it definitely was. If watching her wasn't this amusing he would have been concerned. "But the possibility of her falling off the wagon again still had him wary of-" She cut the thought short. "Did he talk to you?" she repeated. And again, before he could even gear up to say something she went on. "And this morning, he just bid me goodbye and told me he was taking her to Cathedral City. Out of the blue. Just like that." She emphasized it with a twirl of her hand.

She looked finished and he opened his mouth to say something when she let out another string of words, "He hasn't said anything since the other night, so," she squared her shoulders and pinned him with a look, "Did he talk to you?"

At that the elevator doors opened and he put his hand on the small of her back as he led her out and towards his car. "As a matter of fact, he did." He was enjoying her reaction a bit too much and it must have shown on his face and in his voice because she gave him a slightly impatient look that all but screamed "Care to elaborate?"

"I didn't say much, really," he shrugged. His other hand was fishing for the car keys in his pocket. "He asked how I knew I was no longer an alcoholic."

She frowned, but was now looking in front of her. She wasn't avoiding his gaze, she was just careful about where she was going, he knew. "So I told him the usual, you know," he waved the hand that now held his car keys in the air making them jingle in the process, "how I'm still an alcoholic, that it's a day-to-day effort."

The topic of addiction was one they had more than covered. She hummed and looked at him. "And?" There was more and she knew it.

"Well, all in all, he asked me how he could be sure when to give an addict a chance."

She hummed again. "That _has_ been the predominant question on his mind when it came to Sharon Beck." Sadness entered her voice.

He nodded. "Yeah, I figured." They reached his car, and he opened the door for her before slipping into the driver's seat himself.

As she was putting her seat belt on she turned to him. "What was your answer?"

He shrugged. His own seat belt in place, he put the keys in the ignition. "I told him that there is no way of knowing." He turned the key. "But that not giving her a chance might hurt _him_ more than her."

She half scoffed half laughed at that. He gave her a confused look. She really was behaving strangely today. "I've been telling him that for weeks!" she let out on an exasperated sigh.

He laughed and turned around, carefully moving the car backwards out of the parking space. "Well, maybe he needed to hear it from another addict," he said as he started driving out of the garage.

"Maybe," was her reply as she adjusted herself in her seat.

"Thank you," she added after a moment of silence, her hand reaching out to caress his arm from his shoulder downwards.

In response he only squeezed her hand once it landed on his as it rested on the gear shift. He really didn't do much, he thought.

"Does this mean he'll be on our case about moving in together again?" She snort laughed at his question.

"At full capacity, I mean?" he added for good measure.

"Probably." she told him through another bout of laughter.

"Urgh," he grunted sending her into another fit of laughter.

Yeah, she really was strange today.

He liked it.

* * *

 ** _What do you say? I took a few small liberties in the second one. I hope you don't mind and that Sharon wasn't too out of character._**

 ** _I also considered writing a tidbit in which Sharon asks Andy what it was that he had to do after he left the electronics room, or an Andy/Nicole conversation although I kinda covered Andy's worries already, *shrugs* I don't know... Maybe later? Or not at all? I'll see..._**

 ** _And one more thing, thank you for your reviews, I love hearing your opinions about these so far. That they're so positive is awesome, too!_**

 ** _Till the next chapter! Ta-ta!_**


	9. 5x09

_**There are two things I wanted in this episode. A Julio/Sharon moment. And another Shandy moment. Especially the Shandy moment, because it really could have been squeezed in, 30 seconds, tops!**_

* * *

Thing 1

A door closing startled her as she was walking down the corridor back to her office. When she looked up she saw Julio closing his eyes, leaning against the door, hands splayed on the cold wooden surface behind him and taking a deep breath. She walked up to him. "Is Mark giving you a hard time?" she asked, voice rising slightly as she sneaked a peek into the room Julio had just left.

He looked at her and she knew that, under normal circumstances, he would have straightened up and maybe put his hands behind his back, but this time he let his head fall back on the door behind him, his gaze directed at a random spot on the wall opposite of him. He looked almost forlorn. It had been a long night, she knew. He was in the middle of an even longer day apparently. "You could say that, Ma'am."

She took a step away from the window and turned her focus to Julio. "I saw Mrs. Urzua leaving." It was a statement but it sounded more like a question, which she was well aware of. She was hoping Julio would tell her if something was wrong without further prompting.

"She said she had a lot to do today and-" he scoffed, interrupting his own thought, and looked at her. There was a rough edge to his voice as he spoke again, "He was giving her a hard time, too."

And maybe she couldn't deal with Mark anymore, Sharon continued what she suspected was his unfinished thought. She offered him a sympathetic smile, tilting her head at him. "Yes, foster children seem to like giving people around them a hard time." Her eyes flickered back to Rusty for a moment.

He shook his head and looked away from her. "I don't know how you did it, Ma'am. I'm barely a day in and I'm beat."

There was such a sense of awe in the way he said it, that the sudden feeling of pride that washed over her as his words sunk in, caught her off guard. Not just pride in Rusty and his accomplishments, but pride in herself for the part she played in that. It was a rare sensation, she realized. Even though well aware of her contribution, she rarely offered herself a pat on the back in appreciation. Receiving it from someone else, if in words only, felt oddly gratifying despite never seeking recognition for any of it. However, before this feeling could awake more feelings, ones that were more difficult to control or hide, she smiled at Julio again. "It takes time," she paused to make sure she had Julio's attention, not that he ever was inattentive when she spoke to him, "and patience."

He let out a soft chuckle and pushed away from the door, finally taking his usual more rigid stance before facing her again. "I know." His voice was steady and he looked as determined as ever. He did know, she believed him.

She was about to continue on her way to her office, thinking that was the end of the conversation, when Julio spoke up again. "Rusty offered to stay with him. I hope that's okay, Captain."

She smiled again, softly this time. She seemed to do a lot of supportive smiling with Julio, she noted. Although this time it was not just in support of Julio but also at the note of another swell of pride because of how far Rusty has come. "It's not a problem, Julio." She waited a beat. "As long as _he_ offered." She intentionally let humor tint her words.

He smiled and nodded. After a brief pause he moved on, "I'll try to not fall asleep again, Ma'am."

She really hoped he wouldn't because otherwise, as the _boss_ , she mentally rolled her eyes, she would have to address it in a more official capacity. However, she decided not to linger on that for the time being and let out a soft laugh. "I know you will." She took a second to consider her next words. "This has been a sort of a last moment thing. Of course you will need a minute to get your bearings now. Believe me." Her eyes flew to Rusty behind the closed door again. She then moved to finally get going back to her office and threw Julio a few last words. "Just don't take _too_ much time, Detective." The pointed look she gave him had Julio chuckling again.

By the time his "Yes, Ma'am." left his lips, she was about to turn the corner towards her office. She heard him though and stopped in her tracks when another thought crossed her mind. She didn't think it was necessary to point this out to him, especially if Mark's mother was found as quickly as they hoped she would be, but she felt she should do it anyway. She turned around, and happy to see Julio hasn't moved just yet, said loudly enough for her voice to carry over to him, "He also needs love, Julio." If her voice cracked slightly, she chose to ignore it.

Julio looked up at her, getting ready to go back to work as well, and nodded. Pointing it out really wasn't necessary, he understood. She could tell he did, even if his nod wasn't accompanied by his usual "Yes, Ma'am." Maybe she could tell _because_ he only nodded.

* * *

Thing 2

She was leaning against Andy's desk, arms folded across her chest. They were waiting for Julio to finish up with Brie and her lawyer before they could officially close their case.

"So," Andy, who was standing next to her, leaning with one hand against his desk so that he was facing her sideways, started in a somewhat hushed, yet enthusiastic voice, "I sold my house." He was bursting with happy energy when he arched an eyebrow as if asking "Can you believe it?"

And she couldn't. Or could, but only barely. When he had told her earlier in the electronics room a number of things crossed her mind. One of them was "Holy crap." Andy must be rubbing off on her, she thought. Or was that Mike's go-to exclamation? The second thing was excitement. Because, although the reality of the next step they were about to take in their relationship hit her full force in that moment, hence the "Holy crap." reflex, she _was_ excited. And happy. She had been about to spill just how happy about it she was by offering him a wide, teeth displaying, smile, when she remembered where they were and with whom. That quickly put a damper on her mood. Maybe not a damper, but it certainly sobered her and reminded her she ought to keep her professionalism. They _were_ in the middle of listening to an interview after all. It was hard to do with Andy grinning contentedly besides her, but not impossible. That he was utterly adorable when he forgot her 'let's keep it professional' rule didn't help either. She managed though. Practice makes perfect, she practically scoffed at herself at that thought.

"You did." Her tone went up as she ended the sentence and she let her hand glide over his arm in a gentle caress. He was grinning at her like a few moments ago again. Only this time she grinned back. Yes, she was excited alright. And happy. Delighted even.

"Celebratory dinner?" He was still grinning at her, but he wiggled his eyebrows in askance.

She heard Julio approaching, talking to Brie so she pushed off the desk to face her and her attorney. "As soon as we are done here," she assured Andy through a smile and a last glance at him before turning into the Captain again.

* * *

 ** _Obviously dinner had to be cancelled or postponed since the whole situation with Julio's foster kid arose, plus the next episode picks up right after the end of this one, but I'll work around it in my next update. ^_^_**

 ** _Anyways, thanks for reading and please, do tell me what you think because I was fumbling for words quite a bit this time so..._**


	10. 5x10a

**_There's so much I wish had happened. The first scene I set on the evening before the breakfast scene and it's basically a continuation of my previous chapter, the remaining two happen after breakfast. They're in chronological order._**

* * *

Scene 1

"There goes our dinner," she let out on a sigh.

She was sitting in the passenger seat of Andy's car on the way to her condo. Or _their_ condo, she amended. He'll be moving in once he finishes clearing out his house (he had started more than a week ago) and officially hands over his keys. But for all intents and purposes, it was _theirs_ now. She was looking through the window barely registering the blur of buildings they were passing by. The day had taken an abrupt turn with Cynthia's tragic news. Instead of heading home after finishing up with Brie Miller they had been stuck at work trying to figure out what happened to Mark's mother. Now, at nearly 11 pm she instructed the team to go home. Running on fumes would do them no good. And she had a feeling this would be an exhausting case so the more rest they got, the better.

"There's plenty of time to celebrate later." He shrugged his shoulders and threw a glance at her. "Besides, we should be used to last minute plan changes by now."

She tore her gaze away from the window to look at him. "True." A soft, warm smile settled on her face. It wasn't their first change of plans, nor would it be their last. That soon they would be heading to the same home together or would be waiting up on each other there, whether work interferes or not, however, offered her a strange, but very welcome, feeling of contentment now. Finally one plan that would not be so easy to change, she thought happily.

After dinner, they would have headed back to his house, she knew, for privacy since Rusty was home, but also so that she could help him pack up. Now it was just another plan that had to be changed. She was sure Andy must have been just as tired as she was, so she offered for him to stay the night with her. They may have to postpone their celebratory dinner, but they could still indulge in each other's company. And as exhausted as they were, they wouldn't be doing much celebrating, in private or otherwise, or any packing anyway. The condo was much closer, too.

After a brief silence she spoke up again. "Rusty will be thrilled."

He scoffed, eyes set on the road in front of him. "Well, he's had a lot more than 30 days to prepare for the possibility of my moving in." He gave her an amused look. "Practice too."

She let out a soft chuckle and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Not counting his stay during the whole blood clot ordeal, Andy _was_ spending an awful lot of time at the condo with her. That he had another kind of practice for them in mind, too, didn't go unnoticed either. When she spoke her voice was slightly higher than usually. "He has." She dropped her hand onto her thigh. "I think he's okay with it now. Not thrilled," she rolled her eyes, "but definitely okay with it."

"Yeah," Andy agreed and drummed his fingers over the steering wheel. Things were looking much better with Rusty, he thought. At least if Rusty opening up, and talking about moving in and Sharon Beck, was anything to go by. He didn't really worry. Sharon didn't either anymore. _As much_ anymore, he amended.

"He's been awfully reserved lately." Sharon interrupted Andy's musings. She chose 'reserved' for lack of a better word, but suspiciously attentive, patient, thoughtful and brooding could be used to describe her adoptive son just as well. "Ever since I've told him off about those fingerprints, he's been on his best behavior."

"I'm sure he's up to something." Andy said lightly. He really wasn't, but the way Sharon talked about it had him thinking that maybe she was.

She shrugged and folded her hands in her lap. "Well, I won't worry about it until he reaches the bribing stage."

He laughed out loudly. "Bribing stage?" He raised an eyebrow at her before returning his attention to the road again.

"You seem to forget," she raised an eyebrow at him now, "as does Rusty," she pointed out, "that I am not new at this." If there ever was a trace of smugness in her demeanor it was now.

Andy was positively grinning now. "Oh, you having experience with this," he feigned a shudder as if her mothering was a force to be reckoned with, which it really was, now that he thought about it, "is not something that will ever slip my mind, don't you worry."

It was true. If there was one thing he admired about her more than her skills as Captain, it was her parenting skills. He's seen her not only with Rusty, but with Ricky too, back when they'd discussed Rusty's adoption. She could be equally intimidating in both roles, he knew.

"Good," was her only, now positively smug, response as she settled her gaze on the blur behind the passenger window again.

When they reached her building's garage Andy broke the silence. "Poor Julio. He seemed more than ready to be rid of the kid."

She hummed in response. When they both exited the car she spoke in a careful voice. "He did seem relieved." And he did, but his protectiveness kicked in the moment he realized what Cynthia's news meant for the boy. "I think he was just looking forward to the prospect of getting some rest."

Andy chuckled remembering how he fell asleep in the electronics room earlier that day. "Could be," he replied scratching his eyebrow using one hand and calling the elevator they'd just reached with the other.

"If he's learned anything from you, he'll grow to care for the boy before you know it," he added as they entered the elevator.

"I think he already has, and not because he's learned it from me," she gave Andy a pointed look. Julio was passionate to a fault, as indicated by his anger management issues. Loyal, too, and he would care for the boy because that was simply who he was. They both knew it.

"You're right." He conceded and drew an arm around her waist to pull her into a sideways hug. He smiled when she rested her head on his shoulder and circled her arm around his waist.

They pulled apart when they reached her floor and the elevator doors pinged open.

"Will you let Rusty watch the interview tomorrow?" he asked as they made their way to her condo.

"I want to," she admitted. She was reaching for her keys now. "He'll push for it tomorrow, I'm sure." She unlocked the door and opened it. Andy followed her in, disposing of his jacket while she was slipping out of her heels.

"And when he does, I might not let him just to teach him a lesson," she concluded. She was still unhappy about Rusty's blatant disregard of Buzz's wishes. Maybe this lesson would be for the best, whether she liked having to teach it or not. "And with Julio..." she let the sentence drop. With Julio entering her worries now, she felt even less inclined to having to deal with Rusty's indiscretions at the moment.

He never really knew how to support her when it came to making decisions about Rusty, especially when they were about something much more serious than this Hecht guy, so he had no response for her apart from an absent-minded "Yeah." But this was more work related than it was personal, he reasoned, and he was about to simply ask her if there was anything he could do to help when the man in question trudged down the hallway.

Sharon shot Andy a startled look that clearly meant "Did he hear any of this?" but when Rusty just said, "Hi, guys," and went merrily on on his way to the kitchen, they were certain he hadn't. Rusty and playing it cool didn't mix. He'd be fidgeting like crazy had he heard them. Would probably not even bother pretending he hadn't heard anything.

"Hi," both Sharon and Andy replied. Andy shrugged at her as she watched Rusty's back, eyes wide.

"I can try dealing with the kid," he told her in a somewhat hushed tone once Rusty disappeared from view. He shrugged a shoulder as if saying "You never know, it might just work." He wasn't really sure how he could deal with him, but he was sure he would come up with something by tomorrow. At least to help Sharon out. He hoped he would, he corrected himself.

She smiled at him, moved a hand to his shoulder, finding purchase there as she rose on her tiptoes, and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek, her hand leaving his shoulder only to trace a path down his arm before she dropped back down to her feet. He smiled to himself; he loved the bigger height difference between them when she was out of her heels. And even though she completed the gesture by saying in a low, grateful voice "Thank you," it told him she wasn't sure he could deal with Rusty any more than he was.

Either way, they put the discussion to rest for now. They lingered in the living room only long enough to bid Rusty goodnight before turning in for the night.

It had been a long day after all.

* * *

Scene 2

He could practically hear Sharon's wheels turning. They were well on their way to work and she hadn't spoken since they got in his car and he didn't need to ask to know why. She was trying to work out a way of not using Mark the way Rusty suggested they do. He didn't like it any more than she did, but unlike her, he had already accepted that it was the fastest way for them to move their case forward. She would, however, come to the same conclusion once she takes apart all other ideas that pop into her head. When she sighed and turned slightly to face him better, he knew she had caught up with him.

"I can't believe we're going to lie to that boy." Her voice was steady but soft. She was speaking like a mother at the moment, not as his Captain.

"I don't like it either, but this is the way to do it," he said roughly. He chanced a look at her. "You know how it goes, the longer the wait the colder the lead," he added, more gently this time.

She took a deep breath and nodded, looking straight ahead on the road now. Of course she knew how it went. "Julio is not going to like it either."

He nodded, a frown settling on his face. "Yeah," he confirmed grimly.

"I'll try to figure out a way to not use Mark's name on the warrant," she said, and judging by her tone, more to herself than him. "Just in case," she added.

Just in case Julio went all papa bear and withheld his consent. He could tell that was what she was thinking. "Good luck with that." His voice indicated that he doubted even she could come up with something. But if _anyone_ could find her way in that sea of rules it was _her_. That thought put a smile on his face. She noticed it and gave him a funny look.

"You have a better idea?" The edge in her voice told him she wasn't in the mood for games.

He shook his head, taking a right turn, he could see the LAPD headquarters now. "No," he gave her what he hoped was an apologetic smile, "I just remembered how much faith I've started having in you and your knack for the rules." He shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She visibly relaxed, shoulders going down fractionally, but enough for him to notice, and when she spoke her voice had lost her previous edge, "Let's hope I don't let you down then." A smile was playing at the corners of her mouth.

"So, the bribe?" he asked. The Mark issue was settled apparently.

The corners of her mouth stretched into a wide smile now and she settled her eyes expectantly on him. "Yes?" She wasn't going to straight out tell him "I told you so." but the inflection she used was all but screaming it at him.

"I think you're right," he told her matter-of-factly. They had arrived at HQ and he was in the middle of parking his car when she hummed, urging him to continue, still looking at him. "Making his case like that, sounds more and more like a lawyer to me." A note of amusement entered his voice.

She smiled again. "It does sound like that," she practically hummed the words.

He was sure she had more to say on the matter, but not just yet, not until Rusty chipped in with a word or two first, so he didn't push. He parked the car and when he slipped his key out of the ignition, he turned around in his seat and gave her a long look. "So, ready to start this awful day?"

For a second he expected her to roll her eyes at him, but then she took a deep breath as if bracing herself for exactly that, an awful day, and let out "As I'll ever be."

"Okay." Her answer didn't surprise him. He gave her a peck on the lips and opened his car door.

* * *

Scene 3

By the time they reached the murder room Provenza was waiting impatiently in front of Sharon's office door. She stopped in front of him and gave Andy a puzzled look but he shook his head and shrugged.

She tilted her head at Provenza, "Good morning, Lieutenant, is there something I can help you with?" It did not happen often that the Lieutenant waited for her by her door. Usually, he would be working on a crossword puzzle at his desk, or when a case called for it, he'd be combing through files, barely even offering a "Hello."

Andy made himself comfortable at his own desk, but shot his partner an impatient look. "Yeah, what's up, Provenza? Ran out of crossword puzzles?"

If looks could kill, the one Provenza directed at Andy would have pulverized him. He obviously wasn't in the mood to bicker just then, so instead of gracing him with what would have been anything but a polite retort, he proceeded to address Sharon, "It's about Buzz, Captain."

"Oh," she was still reeling from Rusty's suggestion about Mark and, for a second, she had completely forgotten that Hecht was due for an interview today. "Come on in, Lieutenant." She entered her office and gestured with her hand for him to follow, leaving Andy behind seated at his desk.

As she sat down behind her desk; Provenza remained standing in front of it; she asked, "Is there a problem?" He had gone through Buzz's 'novel' and informed her that everything was okay. His exact words were "It might as well have been written by you!" The removal order was filed and they agreed to interrogate him today. _Interview_ him, she mentally corrected herself.

"Reserve officer Watson here," he gestured behind him, as if Buzz was standing right there, "thinks we should postpone the interview because of that kid now." He dropped his hands. "Mark," he added needlessly.

"Nonsense," she punctuated the word with a dismissive wave of a hand, "we can find a moment to interview him. We are perfectly capable of multitasking, Lieutenant."

"Which is what I told him." He now leaned on one of the chairs in front of him. "I think he's just nervous." His voice lowered a fraction, softened even.

"And that is exactly why you will be interviewing the witness," she stressed the last three words, even though both Provenza and Buzz were very much aware of what they will be doing, " _with_ reserve officer Watson today." A faint smile crossed her features and her voice grew slightly higher at those last few words.

"Alright then," he clasped his hands together and straightened, "I'll tell him we're still on for today." He scoffed, "Or try to tell him," he mumbled.

He then nodded and turned to leave when Sharon's soft laughter made him give her a confused look instead.

"Something funny, Captain?"

She schooled her features. "Oh, it's just interesting how we have one person less than enthusiastic about this interview," her gaze fell on Buzz's figure, that was just entering the murder room, before she returned it to the Lieutenant in front of her, "and another one ready to jump through hoops to see it happen."

He frowned in confusion. "Rusty," he stated when it dawned on him. She just hummed. "You gonna let him watch the interview?" Andy had told him about Sharon's disagreement with the boy.

She sighed and turned her chair slightly, opening her desk drawer to take out a folder, "I don't know yet." She placed the folder on top of the desk and gave Provenza a far away look, tilting her head. "Maybe."

"Whatever you decide, Captain." And with that he let himself out of her office.

* * *

 _ **I could've gone on and on and on so I'm stopping here! But expect the next update to be a few more add-ons to this episode, because I have more missing scenes in mind for it and I need to get them out of my head.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun writing these, hope you had fun reading them! :)**_


	11. 5x10b

**_3 more add-ons for episode 10. The first one with Julio, the second one with Andy ( & the team) and the third one with Buzz._**

* * *

The first one

They hadn't spoken at all on their way back from the courthouse, possibly because Chief Taylor was with them, but when they entered the murder room, the Chief no longer in tow, Julio followed her to her office. "Captain, do you have a moment?" he asked, standing on the threshold of her office, letting her enter and get settled.

"Of course, come in," she told him as she was taking her seat behind her desk.

He entered her office and closed the door behind him. He didn't sit down, but remained standing in front of her desk.

When he didn't speak up right away she gave him an expectant look. "Thank you, Ma'am," he said simply.

She had no need to ask what for. He was grateful for not having to use Mark for the warrant. At least not officially. She wasn't aiming for false modesty when she said, "It's a good thing the principal remembered him." The smile that followed meant "You're welcome."

Julio nodded solemnly and it was the brief look of worry that crossed the detective's face that had her ask, "Would you have given in?" She supposed she knew the answer already. If it had been Rusty and she had been in Julio's shoes, she'd have most likely done the same. "If the school had no record of him?" she added.

He stiffened, his stance, if at all possible, growing more rigid, but responded without hesitation. "No, Ma'am."

She smiled, to herself, more than at him. "Me neither," she shrugged her shoulders as if to ask "Who'd have guessed?"

His lips formed a tight smile. "I know, Ma'am."

He let his eyes drift behind her, she wondered what was on his mind and whether that was why he asked for a moment with her. "It's a good thing we could settle the matter this way then." Relief was etched in the words. She was really glad it had all worked out after all.

He looked at her again and nodded. "Yeah," the same relief filled his voice, too.

He was most definitely in a contemplative mood and she did not expect his next words. "That Dwight guy," he paused, giving her a second, as if he was well aware the topic came out of the blue, "he gives me the creeps, Ma'am."

Even though the topic was anything but funny, she let out a soft laugh. "Me, too, Julio," she swayed in her chair, turning it slightly sideways, "me, too."

His eyebrows shot up for the briefest of moments and he quickly schooled his features into his usual serious expression, but it did not go unnoticed by her. "Yes, Detective," she said pointedly, "I do get the creeps." She managed to control her lips from forming a smile but she was sure her eyes revealed her amusement. The brief dance of one of her eyebrows, too.

He chuckled and nodded, not the least bit worried that she caught him in his surprise. When he didn't say anything more but went back to contemplating, or was it brooding, a far away look settling on his face again, she asked in her professional voice, "Is there anything else, Detective?" She had no intention of kicking him out of her office, but they did have work to do and it would do them both good if they would move this along. She had a feeling it wasn't Dwight he was contemplating so much.

He got her hint. "I have to tell Mark his mother is dead," he said in a thick voice, the look he was giving her not wavering, however.

She should have known that was what was bothering him. "Yes, you do," she confirmed sadly. She had given it some thought, too. It wasn't easy news to give. She couldn't even imagine having to give those news to Rusty, God forbid, and he was much older than Mark. "There are grief counselors that can help you," she started carefully, "but if you'd like, I can ask Doctor Joe," she corrected herself, "Doctor Bowman to lend a hand."

His gaze remained steady, fixed on her and his head bobbed up and down as he weighed her offer. "I'd appreciate that, Ma'am," he finally said.

"I'll make the call then."

She had said it softly but with a note of finality Julio instantly picked up on. She heard him let out a breath, as if he had been holding it in the whole time, and then he made his way to the door. She had already dropped her gaze on the pile of papers in front of her when she heard him again, "Captain?"

He waited for her to look up at him. "Thank you." For what, he did not have to clarify this time either.

She let out a gentle "You're welcome, Julio." and with that the detective made his way back to his desk.

* * *

The second one

"Oh, my God."

She took a moment to compose herself. She took a deep breath, blinked the tears away and then got up to leave her control post. By the time she set eyes on the members of her team the firefighters were already working on putting the fire out, black smoke billowing from the truck. She did a head count even though she had seen on the monitors that they were all alright. When her eyes landed on Andy, who had his back turned to her, she quickened her pace.

"Andy," she said almost inaudibly when she reached him, ignoring the rest of her team, but he heard her and turned around. She wrapped her arms around him and, despite his surprise, it took him less than a second to wrap his own around her.

"I'm okay," he whispered into her ear, taking a breath to take comfort in her scent. She tightened her grip on her for another moment and pulled away.

"You're okay," she repeated as if saying it again made it more true.

She was well aware of her unusual display of emotion or loss of control, or whatever other name you could put to it, but she had practically let out a sob in front of complete strangers back at her control post, she would allow herself this moment of 'weakness'. It was only her team that was huddled together now, even if Chief Taylor was standing right there next to them.

"Well, she never hugs me." Provenza interrupted the moment, faux jealousy in his voice. The way he clutched his hat gave away that the explosion shook him up as well.

She turned around to face the rest of the team, still indulging in Andy's warm presence behind her, when Julio turned to look at the older Lieutenant. "She once even hugged me, sir," he said self-importantly.

Provenza just scoffed at him. Sharon opened her arms, "I will gladly give you a hug, Lieutenant," she told him through a smile, mischief glimmering in her eyes now. She appreciated the Lieutenant's attempt to diffuse what must have been an awkward tension.

"Oh, no," Provenza dramatically took a step backwards, shaking his hands as if to shake her off of him. He pointed a finger at Andy, "You stick with Flynn over there." He paused a beat and as if he had to remind himself who he was talking to, added, "Captain."

Andy, who had moved to stand in between Provenza and Sharon now, rolled his eyes and then pinned his partner with an exasperated look that quickly took on a glimmer of mischief very similar to Sharon's. "You don't want _me_ to hug you now, do you?" he asked seriously, but feigning genuine concern, about himself, not Provenza.

"Ye Gods!" Provenza threw his hands in the air and turned around to walk to the firetruck to find out how long before they could carry on with their jobs.

The rest of the team, including Taylor, barked a laugh at the duo.

"What?" Andy turned around, hands going up as if saying "I didn't do anything."

"Alright," Sharon spoke up, gently stroking Andy's arm to get his attention, and addressed the rest of her team. "You gave me quite a scare, but I am glad you're okay." Her voice was softer than usually but the authoritative note returned to it.

"It was a close one," Mike said, scratching the top of his bald head, eyes flickering to the wrecked truck behind them. The rest of the team nodded in agreement, looking all solemn for a moment.

"I have to head back," she informed them, looking at Chief Taylor now. He nodded, quietly agreeing with her decision. "See you in the murder room when you finish up here." She gave all of them one final but quick once over. When her eyes landed on Andy they exchanged a nod of both reassurance and encouragement and with that, she took her leave.

* * *

The third one

She had sent Mike to put her plan regarding Colson into motion and when she and Rusty left the electronics room, shortly after Mike's hasty exit, she saw Buzz leaning against a wall clutching his red folder to his chest. Rusty looked ready to jump at the man with congratulations, but she put an arm on his shoulder and shook her head in warning. Rusty, albeit confused, took the hint and walked toward the break room.

She walked towards Buzz and when he noticed her, in a voice swelling with pride, she said, "That was excellent work," she continued in a slightly humorous tone, "reserve officer Watson."

He smiled briefly and nodded, moving away from the wall, folder still clutched between his hands and chest. "Thank you, Captain."

"Do you need a moment?" she asked him, patting her hand on his arm briefly as if to tell him he _should_ take a moment. It was obvious that he did but she was sure he would have powered through and went on with work unless she offered him a moment of respite herself.

He smiled again, faintly, and looked around before settling his eyes on her again. "I think I do."

"Okay, see you in a bit then." She took a step away from him and made to turn to go after Rusty when Buzz addressed her again. "There is a reason why police officers usually don't investigate their family members." He had looked away from her, but when he ended his sentence he lifted his gaze to meet hers as she turned back to him, and swallowed.

"Yes, there is." She spoke gently. There wasn't much she could add. "There are a few of them, actually." She shrugged giving him a knowing look. There was no need to list them, he knew them all and, for now, dealing with just the one was overwhelming enough.

"I should go," he waved the folder in the direction of the murder room, finally loosening his grip on it, "pull myself together," he smiled, this time more convincingly, "before Rusty finds me. I'm sure he's full of," he paused and gave her a conspiratorial look, "ideas." Impressions, opinions, suggestions were all words that came to mind as well.

She turned away again and started her stride towards the break room. "Oh, I know he is," she said, her voice taking on a lower tone that was most likely a substitution for the eye roll she held back.

* * *

 ** _My knowledge of the layout in and around the murder room is very limited, so let's just pretend that this last bit could happen even if Buzz's wall and the electronics room were actually a few corners away. I do my best to fit these into canon, the space the characters occupy included! So, if any of you also insist on this kind of accuracy, I apologize if I messed up this time. Feel free to educate me though! :D_**

 _ **Also, I think that's it for my 5x10 missing scenes. Finally!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading! You guys are awesome! :)**_


	12. 5x10c

**_First off, thanks for your support and reviews, I wasn't sure what you'd say about that 2nd bit of my previous chapter and I'm glad you guys liked it, all things considered... :)_**

 _ **Now, I was going to move on to episode 11, I've already written it and even started working on episode 12, but episode 10 kept coming back to mind. So I simply had to get it out of my system and this is the end product. It's just a bit of an introspection I guess. With a dash of fluff.**_

* * *

After dinner they made themselves comfortable in the living room. Andy was sitting on the couch, feet resting on the coffee table in front of him whereas Sharon was stretched out next to him, resting her head on a pillow that she'd fluffed out and put over his lap. They were watching the news and even though Andy's toes obscured her view of the bottom part of the TV, it didn't bother her any more than the fact that his feet were on the table in the first place. She wasn't really paying attention to the news anyway. Instead her thoughts were scattered all over the place and whatever was being said on the news was but a faint chatter in the background she couldn't make out. Not that she was trying to. No, she was still reeling from the day and was absentmindedly drumming her fingers on one of Andy's knees while enjoying the feel of his hand playing with a strand of her hair.

They were alone, Rusty had texted earlier; he was meeting up with Gus and they shouldn't wait up. She would never ask Rusty to leave just so she could spend time with her boyfriend, the word still sounded funny to her mind's ear, but tonight she was really glad to have him all to herself. It had been a long day and she had yet to process its events.

So here she was, pretending to watch the news, replaying that horrifying moment from a few hours ago and reveling in her little cocoon of comfort and contentment that Andy finally provided. Work had kept them busy and, not counting dinner, this was their first private moment together.

In her musings she didn't notice that Andy's hand had stilled and slipped down to the top of her shoulder. His soft snore pulled her out of her thoughts and when she carefully lifted her head to take a look at him she realized he had fallen asleep, head drooping sideways over the backrest of the couch.

Not surprising. It was an exhausting day, a couple of days, actually. The only reason she wasn't asleep yet was that she was still thanking the lord that her team had not been injured in that explosion. She pushed off his lap and moved into a sitting position. She took the pillow from him, put it somewhere on the couch behind her and since his head was still leaning back, she splayed a hand gently across his chest for balance, lifting herself slightly up to place a soft kiss on the cheek she could now reach. He didn't stir right away, but when she whispered, "Andy, wake up," he groaned, opened one eye, as if testing it, and then another, before lifting his head. He just mumbled "I'm trying to sleep here," and let his head fall back down.

He was awake now, there was no fooling her. She chuckled, got to her feet and took one of his hands giving it a small tug. "Come on," she tugged again, "let's go to bed."

He grunted and blindly reached for the remote with his other hand. "Fine," he said as he hit the 'power' button on it. He made a show of looking behind her to see if it did the trick and if the TV was now off, as if the ensuing silence wasn't a good enough clue, and satisfied with the results of his inquiry, he got up. She watched him, an amused smile gracing her face as he proceeded to stretch his back. When it made a popping noise, her smile widened and she tugged on his hand once more. "Bed, now."

"You're only the boss at work," he grumbled, but followed her nonetheless.

They went through their nightly routine in the bathroom and as always, by the time she was done, Andy had already made himself comfortable on the bed, lying flat on his back. He didn't even look at her when she reached the bed, stopping in front of it as she applied some hand lotion. He just tapped his hand on top of her side of the bed, and practically growled, "Bed, now."

She just laughed at him and finally moved to slip under the comforter. "Bossy, aren't we?"

He turned his head to look at her. She had made herself comfortable on her side, an arm bent underneath her head, and was looking at him. "I'm negotiating," he quipped smugly, sending another wave of soft laughter through her.

"I see," she moved underneath the comforter so that her head was now resting on top of its edge. "Well, we both got our wishes," she added merrily.

"Not yet," he mumbled. He lifted his head, scooted closer to her and wormed an arm underneath her. When his hand reached her back he pulled her towards him, making her laugh again, until she settled her head on his chest. He tucked the comforter around them, then splayed the fingers of his hand over her side and rested his head back on his pillow. "Now we did," he said contentedly.

She smiled and sighed, resting her hand over his, her other arm squeezed between them. It'll go numb, she was sure, but for now she didn't mind. She caressed his hand with her fingers, "You keep trying to get yourself killed." She uttered the sentence through a smile, but the residual shock made itself heard in her voice anyway. He didn't really get into these situations that often, but it still happened far too often for her liking. What she really meant was "You scared me to death today." and Andy knew it.

He put his other arm around her to give her a quick squeeze of a hug, then let it fall back down to his side. "It's not my fault. The boss likes to put me into the crossfire." An attempt at humor on her part warranted one on his. But just like her voice gave her away so did his. They ultimately hadn't been in any real danger from the explosion, but had the circumstances been just slightly different, things could have ended much worse. And that thought alone was terrifying, maybe just as much as having been right there when the truck blew up was.

She hummed, a faint smile crossing her face. She offered no response, but stopped her caress and intertwined her fingers with his. She wasn't normally this clingy and neither was he, but this entire case had an ominous feel to it and if the explosion was anything to go by, she expected the case to become worse before it got better. Not that there was such a thing as a good case. Either way, for tonight she'd indulge in this comfortable, little bubble of hers and hopefully tomorrow, they'd both be okay again.

When she remained quiet for longer than he liked he spoke up again. "On the plus side, the boss also likes to hug me."

She snorted. "I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?"

"Well," his voice took on a higher pitch and he stretched the word out, "turnabout _is_ fair play." He was clearly amused by this.

She frowned and shook her head, at least as much as she _could_ shake it in her current position. "Turnabout?" She really had no idea what he was talking about it.

He lifted his head slightly and gave the top of her head a look she obviously couldn't see, "Erm, the grief you gave me about the dead realtor?" He paused and added in a scandalized voice, "In front of the team?" His free arm went through the air before flopping back on the bed.

A soft laugh escaped her. She had almost forgotten about that. She really did enjoy keeping him on his toes that time. "That _was_ fun," she admitted, not a hint of regret in her voice.

He rested his head on his pillow again and sighed. "For you," he pointed out.

Her highly unconvincing "Sorry." did little to appease him. Her playfully stern "But you dug those holes yourself, Andy," only added insult to injury.

"I really kind of did," he admitted though, and he had to chuckle at the memory.

"You'll hear no complaints from me," he returned his focus to her little predicament, "or Julio," he added, a grin she couldn't see playing at his lips.

There was a 'but' coming, she knew, and she mentally braced herself.

"But Provenza on the other hand..." He was trying to hold back his laughter, but it rumbled through his chest anyway.

She let out a playful yet exasperated "Oh." She untangled herself from him to lean against the hand of her arm that, as predicted, had started going numb. With the movement she lifted her head, and practically lying on her side again, she looked at him. "You scared me. All of you did. Pardon my momentary indiscretion." Her face adopted the look of a pretend pout, but the confession was very real.

"Yeah, I know." He turned onto his side to face her, propping his head on an elbow. "It scared us, too," he said seriously.

"It could have been much worse." She spoke softly, a deliberate pace to her words now. She was dealing with facts again and they were both aware of it.

"We knew those guys were nutjobs. We were prepared for the worst." He provided her with another fact.

She smiled at his choice of words. "You held the perimeter." A mental shudder swept over her at the thought of what could have happened had they not.

He ran a hand over her arm as if to warm her up, as if he had noticed her shudder. The comforter had slipped down to her waist, maybe she did shudder. "We had to, our boss is a stickler for the rules." His tentative grin grew wider when she smiled at that.

But her smile was only brief and her features turned slightly rueful instead. "He hung up on me."

That was the fact that bothered her the most. "Because he was a _nutjob_." If he said it in a more forceful way than intended, they both chose to ignore it.

He was, she had to admit. But that only made anger simmer in her, for having been put through this. She was done dwelling on it though. Despite having liked to have two people in interrogation to help her case instead of two dead bodies in the morgue, it was what it was. Hindsight would do little to nothing to help her now. "He was," she reiterated her mind's words.

And truth be told, she wasn't blaming herself, she wasn't having regrets, she wasn't doubting herself, or the team. She barely ever was. She was merely dealing with the scare they all went through today. And that meant voicing the good and bad _what if_ s and the _thank God_ s. However, it also felt nice being able to voice all of that at all, and to do a recap of her day once it was over and to share in that with someone who would understand. If for no other reason than to simply decompress. But for many more reasons considering just how challenging their day had been.

They just lay there for a minute then, facing each other, looking at each other. He broke the silence, "You good?"

She briefly looked away as if checking a mental list to see whether she was or wasn't. When she looked back at him, she moved closer to him and tugged on the arm his head was resting on. He took the hint and turned over on his back, letting her entangle his arm in hers. She then snuggled into his arm and rested her forehead against it. "I am now," she said and took a deep, contented breath.

He wiggled the fingers of his hand, and she responded by sliding one of her hands down his arm. When it reached his palm, he wrapped his fingers around it. He tugged on the comforter with his other hand, tucking them in. "Okay," he let out on a sigh and closed his eyes. The soft kiss he felt against his arm at his word put a smile on his face and with that they both finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **I should be done with 5x10 now. Not making any promises, but I'm fairly certain I'll be posting my scenes for episode 11 next.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed this! :)**_


	13. 5x11

_**An attempt at getting into Sharon's and Andy's heads during this episode. There are three separate, but connected scenes here, in chronological order.**_

* * *

She was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, leaning against the sink, looking _through_ her reflection rather than at it. She had just finished her interview with FID. It went as expected; a walk-through of her actions prior to, before and after shooting Dwight. An officer stood in front of the bathroom making sure she had a moment to herself. She hadn't asked him, he offered and she didn't have the strength to refuse him. With the courtroom footage and witness statements set to only confirm her account of things, FID assured her that, after dealing with behavioral sciences, she would most likely be fully cleared for duty by midday tomorrow. With or without their assurances, she didn't really worry about it. After all, it was all done by the book. She scoffed at the thought. Several people lost their lives, including Chief Taylor; a sudden memory of him being hit by two bullets flashed across her mind; two were fighting for their lives, and all she could say was that it was done by the book?

She shook her head, refusing to linger on those depressing thoughts, heaved a breath and tried to focus on her reflection.

She was pale, but it was the three drops of blood on her face that drew her attention. One for each shot, she thought ironically. She put her hands under the faucet, waiting a second for the sensor to recognize the movement which would start the water running. She squeezed some soap onto her hands and started scrubbing rigorously, even though there was not a drop of blood on them. She replayed the scene in her head again. As if going over it with FID hadn't been enough, she thought bitterly.

She had reacted on instinct, the moment Dwight pulled the trigger for the first time she had her weapon drawn and was on her feet, but shooting back had had to wait until the courtroom was emptied. Or at least until anyone in her line of fire was out of danger. It had taken only a few short seconds for her to finally get a clear shot, but it had been long enough to see the people in front of her being shot down. She had only just registered Taylor aiming at Dwight, the innocent bystander pushing him as he ran for his own life, giving Dwight the opportunity to pull the trigger again. There had been a passing thought telling her Andy was okay, standing a few rows next to and behind her and when Dwight's last couple of shots had echoed through the courtroom, she had finally pulled her own trigger. Once, twice, three times.

She was done scrubbing her hands and reached for a paper towel. Her hands were slightly shaking, just as they had been while aiming her gun at Dwight after she had kicked his weapon out of reach.

They hadn't stopped shaking until a warm set of large hands had covered them. Andy had reached her and put his hands over hers steadying them, snapping her out of her frenzy as she stared down at the man she had just shot.

"The paramedics are on their way. Are you okay?" He had asked her in such an obviously forced calm manner that she knew immediately that the events had shaken him up. His attempt at remaining calm was for her benefit as much as it was for his. He had put a bit of pressure on her hands and only then had she realized she no longer needed to aim at Dwight. He had lost consciousness by then. She had lowered her hands and nodded. A better answer she couldn't give him, but it was enough for him for he had taken a step back and slipped back into his role of Lieutenant.

The rest of the goings on in the courtroom were a blur of movement; paramedics, officers, Morales, her team. Even giving the team some last instructions before joining FID she only recalled through a thick fog. Some last _questions_ , she corrected herself.

She used one of the now wet towels and dabbed them over her face, getting rid of those three angry reminders of the shooting. It wasn't the first time she had shot someone, and there was no guarantee that it would be the last, but she felt shaken up more now than after any of her previous shootings. A hollow feeling of indifference filled her as she thought about the likely possibility of Dwight not making it through surgery. She remembered the slick smile that crossed his face as he was lying on the floor and a pang of anger, or was it hate, shot through her. Her brows drew together at the unwanted feeling.

She made an effort to shake herself out of those thoughts and gave her face a last once over before dropping the towels unceremoniously into a trash bin next to her. She ran her hands over her clothes, smoothing out any wrinkles and took a deep breath. With that, she put her threatening indifference aside to deal with if and when she actually had a reason to.

She left the bathroom, thanked the officer next to the door and headed back to work.

* * *

"Hey, Flynn!"

He was on his way to pick up Henry Colson and was about to head out of the murder room. He looked to his right and saw Provenza running to him. Walking quickly to him that is.

"Yeah?" he asked, as the older man finally reached him and stopped in front of him. He genuinely thought Provenza needed him in regards to the case but when he heard his partner's hushed reply, a frown settled on his face.

"Have you talked to the Captain?"

"No, I haven't," he replied impatiently in an equally hushed voice. "Why?" He knew why, but he wasn't about to spill any unnecessary beans.

Provenza's face adopted a frown as well and he whispered angrily, "Well, talk to her!"

He was obviously just as worried as he was so Andy relaxed somewhat. He gave Provenza his full attention and folded his arms.

"She won't want to talk right now." They were at work and anything he wanted to talk to her about she wouldn't appreciate discussing there. He looked behind Provenza as if the woman in question might jump out in front of them at any second. And she actually could, she was in her office talking to Rusty.

Provenza seemed to understand and when he spoke again the anger in his voice was gone. He did poke Andy in the chest though. "Maybe throw the rules out the window for a minute?" His voice softened, and he looked down to his feet for a moment before his eyes settled on Andy again. "She killed a man today," he took a breath, looking quite uncomfortable with the knowledge itself, and even more with sharing it with someone, even if it was Andy, "and she can't locate a single part in her that feels bad about it," he quoted her.

Andy's shoulders slumped and he too, took a breath. "I figured something was off," he said dejectedly, "but she won't talk about it." Not that they had any time to talk anyway.

He pinned Provenza with a look, practically pleading with the man to drop it. As if he didn't want to check on Sharon and make sure she was okay, he scoffed to himself. There was no need for Provenza to get on his case about it now as well. She'll talk eventually, but for now he shouldn't and wouldn't push.

"Well, you should try," Provenza insisted. "She's scary on a good day." He threw a look at her standing with Rusty in her office. "And today's not a good day," he added gravely.

Andy smiled, proudly almost, "I know." He hadn't planned for his worry to seep into the words though.

"Just take care of her," Provenza grumbled and walked back to his desk.

If Andy wasn't this concerned he might have laughed at Provenza. Typical Provenza, he actually chuckled to himself. He groused and complained but underneath it all he's grown to care for Sharon, that much was clear even if he would never admit it. He shook his head and made his way out of the murder room, but not before he, too chanced a look at her.

They would talk when she figured out what to say, he knew or hoped. And only _that_ was what kept him calm.

For now.

He pushed the elevator button angrily. His blood was already starting to boil as he remembered he was on his way to pick up that scumbag Colson.

* * *

A knock on her door broke her out her thoughts. She was going through her team's findings once more before she had to leave to meet with behavioral sciences.

"Come in," she said looking up at the door as it opened to reveal Andy holding two cups of what she hoped was coffee. It had been a long night, neither of them had even made it home for a change of clothes, let alone sleep.

"Hey," he closed the door and walked to the front of her desk to put a cup in front of her before folding himself into a chair across from her.

He took a sip of his coffee and just sat there in silence for a moment, one hand holding his coffee, the other resting on his thigh. She was glad about that. She had had enough people ask her, with looks or words, whether she was okay. She took a sip of her own coffee and hummed. "Thank you, I needed this."

He shrugged. "I figured as much. We're waiting for Chief Howard so, while we wait, I thought a coffee break was in order."

She offered him a smile, leaning back into her chair more comfortably, cradling the cup between her hands. "Good idea."

He gave her a warm smile in return, but the way his eyes narrowed ever so slightly for a split of a second told her he wasn't there for a simple coffee break. The slow drumming of his fingers over his thigh told her as much, too. He wouldn't ask, she knew. And she appreciated it. He had been remarkably professional. Besides that brief moment where he offered she went to the judge's chambers, he wasn't hovering either even though he knew she was thoroughly rattled. He was there though, at her beck and call if she needed him and that seemed enough for the both of them. Or it was enough. Until now.

She stood up, coffee still in hands, and walked past him to draw the blinds together. She would throw him a bone. And if she was completely honest with herself, she could use a moment, too. She walked back to her desk but sat down on the chair next to him instead of the one behind her desk. The whole time his eyes carefully followed her movements.

"I am not worried about behavioral science." Her calm and steady voice confirmed as much.

"I know," he nodded.

But he also knew there was something that was bothering her, she finished what must have been his unvoiced thought. As precious as it was to know he could read her so well, in moments like these it was slightly exasperating. It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to talk to him. She simply didn't know _what_ to say, what to tell _herself_. How could she tell _him_ anything then?

"I killed him." No reason to dance around the issue, she decided. Her voice was steady but lower than before, laced with emotions she couldn't yet name.

"You had to," he told her, a note of vehemence in his voice.

"I know," she quietly echoed his earlier words.

He was looking at her intently now as if weighing his reply. She had noticed the hushed words exchanged between him and Provenza and was sure that Provenza had filled him in on her thoughts about killing Dwight. She had actually expected Andy to check up on her much sooner.

"Do you want to talk about it?" It was a carefully put question. _He_ wanted to talk about it, but if _she_ didn't, he would let it go, at least for the time being.

She secured the cup of coffee in one of her hands and let the other one cover his still rhythmically drumming fingers. She didn't speak right away and he gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. By the time she opened her mouth, she hadn't made a conscious decision to say what she did, "I am supposed to feel guilty." It was a statement, but even without the unspoken "am I not" it could have been seen as a question. Her voice was laced with an insecurity neither her nor Andy recognized.

He had stilled his fingers and turned his hand palm upwards, letting their fingers intertwine. "His death wasn't your fault, Sharon." He gave her hand a squeeze. "The idiot signed his death certificate the moment he pulled that trigger."

The gruffness in his voice let her know that not only did he mean his words but that they were also true. And she was aware of it. It wasn't that kind of guilt that had her this restless anyway. "I should still feel _something_ ," she stressed the word by squeezing his hand, "after taking a human life." She didn't dare voicing the terrifying question that followed those words. _"What is wrong with me?"_

He looked down at their joined hands. Her thumb was stroking that spot between his thumb and index finger. "It's anger with me," he told her quietly. It really was anger with him. Having to kill someone in the line of duty had him angry for both having to take a life in the first place and for being the one to have to do it.

"It seems it's nothing with me," she said sarcastically. There was also an undertone of genuine worry there.

"For now," he corrected her. Before she could think of a response he added, quickly, but with no less of a conviction, "Maybe it's just shock. It's the dirtbag's fault and we both know it. Once the shock wears off, you'll let that sink in and you'll be able to make peace with it."

She nodded, her own gaze falling down to their hands, mulling over his words. "What if I've already made peace with his death?" she asked.

He didn't hesitate. "It still doesn't make you a bad person." And as if he had read her previous unspoken question, he added, "There is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with you." He squeezed her hand as if to reiterate it.

It was so simple for him, wasn't it, she thought as she offered him a soft smile. You pull the trigger because the dirtbag asked for it and that's that. Black and white. She didn't feel it was that simple though.

He tugged on her hand to get her attention. Her face must have given away that she let her mind wander. When she looked up at him, there was concern on his face, in his eyes, but also understanding. "Maybe I'm not the right person to talk to about this." There was no hurt in his words. He could just tell that this was not something he could make easier on her, as much as he wanted to or tried to. It was as simple as that and he could recognize that.

She thought it over for a moment. He really couldn't offer her a perspective she didn't already think of herself. "Maybe," she said sadly. She gave him one last gentle squeeze of a hand, and used both of them to push off the chair.

"I should get going." The meeting was due in 10 minutes.

He got up as well. "Is there anything I _can_ do for you?" he asked watching her as she put down her coffee and started collecting her things.

"Find me a way into Naziland," she responded instantly. It was a Captain's order, but Sharon said the words.

It put a smile on Andy's face. "We will." He told her with a nod of his head. He walked to the door. "Good luck, Captain," he added through a crooked grin.

And before he was out, she responded in kind. "You, too, Lieutenant."

* * *

 ** _Mary was great in this episode but I thought she could have been given much more to work with, something like two of those scenes above._**

 ** _As always, thank you for reading and feel free to hit the reviews! :)_**


	14. 5x12

_**2 short additions to this episode: A very short one, prior to the Buzz/Rusty scene before Buzz went to talk to Hecht, and a tad longer one, extending the final scene of the episode.**_

* * *

A very short one

Sharon and Andy were seated in front of the monitors in the media room. They had just gone over their plan of attack with Buzz who was set to interview Hecht again. Actually, he and Provenza were about to _interrogate_ him, they were done with the niceties.

However, instead of getting a move on, Buzz remained standing behind them, eyes firmly set on the man whose face the monitors showed.

Andy gave Sharon a subtle questioning look, who responded with a faint, sad smile and turned toward Buzz. She offered him the folder he would be using during the interrogation and softly said, "Buzz?"

He tore his gaze away from the monitors and swallowed. When his eyes settled on her, he nodded his head and reached for the folder. "Thank you."

She didn't let go of the folder immediately. "Are you all set?" she asked, eyes scanning over his face before settling on his eyes.

Buzz took a second, letting his eyes wander towards Andy. Andy just nodded solemnly at him, the gesture akin to a "Don't worry, you can do it."

Only then did Buzz finally reply, "Yes, I'm all set, Captain." His voice indicated he was reassuring himself as much as her.

She finally let go of the folder and nodded, just like Andy had a second ago. "Okay, good luck, Buzz."

"Yeah, go kick his butt," Andy added.

He smiled briefly at him and replied, this time with more confidence, "I'll do my best, Lieutenant."

He moved toward the door but Sharon stopped him before he could leave, "Oh, and Buzz," he turned to look at her, the lighter air to her voice now surprising him, "I believe Rusty's waiting for you." She gave him a knowing look.

He half scoffed half smiled. "Yes, I thought so."

With that he left.

* * *

A tad longer one

"Who is that heavy?"

"Well, you'll never answer that if you don't get some sleep." Andy grunted as he got up to his feet. "Come on," he tugged on the hand he was still holding, "let's get you to bed."

"You're right." She smiled and got up to her own feet.

"I have my moments," he flashed her a smile as he wrapped an arm around her.

She grabbed a hold of his hand, tugging on it as if to secure it more closely around her, and they walked down to their bedroom.

When they had made themselves comfortable on their bed, he couldn't help but ask, just to make sure, "You really are okay now?"

She had wrapped her arms around him, head resting on his chest. She was practically cradled in his embrace. She let her fingers dance across his stomach. "I am," she confirmed in a firm, convincing voice.

In response he tightened his grip on her for a moment. He began drifting off when her soft chuckle broke the lulling silence.

"Hmm?" He was loathe to speak, sleep still trying to claim him. But that she seemed willing to talk some more did not surprise him. This was weighing heavily on her and, if she was to get any decent sleep, he knew she'd want to get things off her chest. If that meant he'd have to let go of some of his sleep then so be it. He'd rather sacrifice a few minutes of his own sleep than let her continue her silent vigil over that damned case of theirs.

"He said you continue to follow me," she said simply, as if that explained it.

He lifted his head to look at her, but he could only make out the top of her head. "Who? Me?" He really was confused.

She hummed, and repeated her earlier dance of fingers over his stomach. "You," she stretched out the word, and her voice took on a slightly higher tone, "the team," she hummed again, "my family."

She was talking about her confession, he realized, finally catching up with her train of thought. He let his head fall back onto his pillow. "Well, if you'd have asked," he feigned annoyance, "I could have told you the same thing."

He could tell she smiled but when she spoke again, she sounded almost wistful, "I didn't ask him either."

But it must have felt nice to hear that anyway, he thought. He lifted his head again and moved a hand to her face, gently insisting that she look up at him. When she did, he spoke in a slow, deliberate tone, "We do." He continued in a less intense tone, a note of humor seeping into it, "Even if your rules annoy us sometimes." He pinned her with a hard look, but when he continued talking his tone was soft, albeit higher. "You get things done. You do things well. Of course we follow you." He gave her a grin before adding, "Even Provenza does."

She pulled her arms out from around him and moved to lean next to him against the headboard, dropping her hands to her lap. He did the same, but kept looking at her. "I worried that feeling like this," she paused and then corrected herself, "that feeling nothing," she looked up to meet his gaze, "meant that I was losing myself."

An almost rueful frown settled on her face and if that wasn't proof of just how difficult an admission and worry this had been to her, the voice in which she spoke, so unlike the smooth, deliberate and steady voice she usually used, surely must have been.

Even he couldn't fathom the idea of Sharon Raydor doubting herself or the system. "And now?" he gently prodded. He would not ask her to divulge anything she discussed in confession, but would accept what she would share of her own accord.

"And now," she took a deep, steadying breath, "I know that I did not," she nodded to herself, satisfied that her voice conveyed her newfound assurance, "lose myself."

That was all there was to it. She would be able to sleep now and would continue trying to crack their case tomorrow. "Good," he started, lowering himself on to his side facing her, ready to give sleep another shot, "because I'm too sleepy right now to go look for you again." He closed his eyes as if to prove his point.

She let out a soft laugh, and made herself comfortable on her own side, her back facing him. When he moved closer, draping an arm over her, she smiled and rested her hand on top of his. "I won't sneak away again," she half whispered, half hummed.

He moved closer, if at all possible; he had no intention of rolling over to find the side next to him empty again. "I'm not risking it," he mumbled, pressing a kiss between her shoulder blades before resting his forehead there. And just to make sure she knew he wasn't joking he tightened his grip on her.

* * *

 _ **I just realized that Sharon & Andy seem to discuss things in bed a lot when I write them. I blame it on Duff for depriving me of private, Rusty-less Shandy scenes! One short one in more than half a season just doesn't cut it for me. XD**_

 _ **As always, thanks for reading! Till the next (and last) update! Bye-bye!**_


	15. 5x13

_**Well, here I am, posting my final update! *wipes sweat off brow***_  
 _ **There are 3 scenes here. In chronological order.**_

* * *

"Although, this does bring us closer to being able to solve two cases about fatherless boys."

"Erm, so before you change your mind then," Rusty took a few steps backwards, "or you decide I'm in trouble because of this," he added, eyes flickering over to Andy as if in support, "I'm gonna go to my room."

She looked at him as if to decide just that, whether he was in trouble or not, but then simply said, "Okay, we won't stay up much longer either."

Fidgeting on the spot he looked between her and Andy. "Oh, okay, then, good night." He gave them an awkward wave and walked down the hall towards his room.

"Good night," both Andy and Sharon called after him.

"Junior detective, huh?" Andy said when he heard Rusty's door close.

She leaned back on the couch, the bottle Rusty scored still on the corner of the table. "Detective, journalist, lawyer," she listed quietly, looking at the bottle. "It all sounds equally terrifying." On the last word she let out a sigh and her voice took on a slightly higher pitch.

Andy just chuckled. She was such a mother, he thought. "Well, he is your son. Terrifying sounds like the best way to go."

"Ha-ha," she gave him an unimpressed look.

"Okay, look," he scooted closer to her, the folder he was reading from earlier, still in his lap. "You may not like it, but he _was_ careful." When she narrowed her eyes at him in disbelief, he raised his hands in surrender, but continued nonetheless. "He was in public. The guy wouldn't have just shot him with a dozen of people there to witness it and you know it."

"I know," she admitted, her features softening as she continued to look at him. "It wasn't _completely_ reckless," she gave him a look that said "You're right about that", before continuing, "but if he had shared his plan with me, or at least Buzz, professionals could have done that." She waved a hand at the bottle.

She was right and there was no need to tell her he agreed with her. "So, are you gonna give him more grief about it?" he asked instead.

She shrugged a shoulder and gave him a conspiratorial smile. "Probably."

That's a yes, he thought to himself. "See," he flashed her a smile, "sneaky!" He poked her shoulder with a finger.

She threw a hand through the air, as if waving him off. "You are not taking this seriously!" She meant to sound firm, displeased even, but the laughter she was trying to keep at bay betrayed her in the way her voice quivered with its raised tone.

Andy's face, however, turned more serious even if his own voice went higher in its defensiveness. "I am!" He paused for a moment to find his normal voice. "But it is what it is and I will not have you worry yourself into another sleepless night about it." He let his hands drop on top of the folder as if to punctuate his decision. "You can do that once you've rested," he added with a firm nod of his head.

There wasn't much she could reply to that, so she just gave him an indulging smile. They both knew she'd still be thinking about this no matter what Andy told her, but she could make an effort to worry less. At least for the night.

"Fine," she told him, surprising him with her sudden much more relaxed attitude.

"Really?" he asked in disbelief, eyebrows raised, his mouth not closing completely as the word left it.

"Yes, really," she said firmly. She reached the folder on his lap with a deliberate movement and before moving away to put it down on the coffee table, she quickly kissed him.

"Okay," he said, less suspicious now, but narrowing his eyes at her.

When she leaned back on the couch and looked at him, he was still eyeing her, as if trying to find something in her features. It only lasted a moment, and she knew he found whatever he was looking for when he leaned in and caught her lips in another kiss, a longer one this time.

Hearing "We _really_ need to get a bigger place." had them break apart and they both turned to look at the source of the words.

Rusty just shrugged and said "Sorry, thirsty," and walked past them into the kitchen.

"There's tap water in the bathroom," Andy grumbled when he was out of sight, sending Sharon into a fit of uncontrolled laughter even though she wasn't sure he was really joking.

"Come on," she said, still laughing as she got to her feet. "I'll put this away," she carefully reached for the bottle, "and I'll meet you in the bedroom."

Just then Rusty entered their field of view again, now holding a glass of water. "Urgh," he groaned. "A bigger place. As soon as possible," he told them, hurrying past them now.

"If I knew this," Andy waved a hand between himself and Sharon, getting to his feet as well, "was all it took for him to agree on us buying a house together-"

"Oh, just go to bed," Sharon interrupted him, aiming to sound exasperated but failing miserably, if the laughter in it was anything to go by.

"Yes, Ma'am, but hurry up." Andy stole another kiss from her. "Please," he added and trudged toward their bedroom.

She was busy putting the bottle in a plastic bag she fished out of her purse, when she heard his playful, "I'm waiting!"

She only shook her head at him and finally made her way to join the impatient man.

Hopefully Rusty didn't hear him.

* * *

They were on their way to Bullhood Trucking and she was riding with Julio. As always, the drive with him was quiet. Only this time the silence was rather uncomfortable. The Detective's tension was almost palpable.

"How's Mark?" Wildred Darnell was most certainly not the cause of his worries.

He sighed and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "He's angry, disappointed, sad. I don't really know, Ma'am."

He sounded almost dismissive, but she decided to ignore it. "Rusty was at his worst whenever he feared I was trying to get rid of him." She suspected Julio was dealing with something very similar to what she went through with Rusty.

"Only I _am_ getting rid of him." He said it through clenched teeth, knuckles going white with the unyielding grip he kept on the steering wheel.

She gave him a look he was pointedly ignoring. "No, you are not." There was a note of impatience mixed with exasperation in her voice.

He scoffed. "I might as well be."

His complete resignation almost threw her for a loop. "You are doing what is best for him." She was glad to see her voice had returned to its usual calm and steady tone.

"I know." He finally gave her a quick look before returning his focus on the road again. "But he's been doing so well now and I-" he fell silent, but his grip on the steering wheel loosened.

"And you worry he might regress again," she finished his sentence for him.

"Exactly," he threw her another look. "You understand," he added when he looked in front of him again. He didn't say it in surprise but rather as if he had just reminded himself of that.

She returned her own gaze to the road now. "As much as I knew I could help Rusty," she narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking about what she was going to say, "I also knew, a chance at being with his real family could help him even more." Not that she wasn't his real family. She looked back at Julio again. "Even if Rusty felt differently," she added.

He nodded. "Only, Ma'am," he gave her a quick look, "his family turned out to be an abusive father and a drug addicted mother," he said sarcastically.

"True," she agreed, looking away from him again, "and I regret that. But if they had been better people I would have let go of him." She carefully said those last four words and gave him a pointed look. "Whether it felt good or not."

He remained quiet for a moment and she didn't press him for a response. He squeezed the steering wheel again before replying. "And he is in touch with his biological mother now."

She nodded, "He is."

"I will keep in touch with him," he informed her.

"Because you want to make sure his family is good," she added knowingly.

He slanted her another look. "Because Mark wants me to. We both do." And before she could reply, he added, "But to do that, too."

She only responded with a soft smile.

After another brief pause he spoke again. "Would you have let go of him?" He sounded unsure of the question.

She tilted her head and looked down for a moment. "I would have," she said with conviction. She had already grown attached to Rusty by then, but she had no doubt that she would have done what was best for him. Even if just remembering how close she came to having to do just that, had a heavy lump forming in her throat again.

He nodded but remained quiet.

"But I'd have kept in touch, too," she added in a thick voice, lifting her head to focus on the road ahead of them. They were two blocks away from Bullhood Trucking.

"I won't forget him," Julio said, less resigned and more determined now.

She didn't reply, only hummed in understanding. There was nothing else to say on the matter.

* * *

"How are you?"

She hadn't had the chance to talk to him after he returned with Provenza from William Jones's home. Provenza had quickly filled her in before she went to talk to Wildred Darnell, but once she agreed to help them, Buzz had been sent out again.

With that now over; she refused to dwell on the unfortunate ending of _that_ ; she was on her way to meet Chief Howard with Provenza, but had a moment to spare. She found Buzz sitting at his desk and walked up to him. When he heard her, he looked up.

"Okay," he let out on a sigh, leaning back in his chair.

He was shaken up, she could tell. "I understand the case has come to a rather," she paused, searching for the right word, "bittersweet conclusion." Both cases did.

A rueful smile passed his features and he scoffed. "You could say that, Captain."

There was no need to elaborate further. She could see how arresting Billy Jones did not turn out to be as clear-cut as they hoped it would be. It would be a much more easily celebrated accomplishment had the man been nothing but a criminal like Hecht was. Adding the words 'family man' and 'responsible father' into the mix, unfortunately, tainted the arrest; regardless of how justified and deserved it ultimately was.

She tilted her head at him, intertwining the fingers of her folded hands in front of her. "I take it you have a lot to process now?" It sounded like a question, but she knew the answer to it, thus making more of a statement out of it.

"And a few more questions," he said almost absentmindedly.

She hummed in understanding. There was no need to ask what those questions were. In his shoes, she would look for answers to the same ones, she was sure. "Just keep in mind that justice _was_ served," she paused for a moment to let the words sink in before continuing, "even if it seems more gray than black and white at the moment."

He looked back at the top of his desk, "Yeah, Lieutenant Provenza said something like that, too." He looked up at her, a small smile playing at his mouth now, "Although in much less nicer words."

She responded with a smile, "Oh, I can imagine." She held back an eye roll.

At that Provenza got up from his desk and the movement caught her attention. He was waiting for her. She untangled her fingers, letting her hands fall to her sides, and offered Buzz an apologetic shrug, "Speaking of Lieutenant Provenza, I should get going." She waved a hand in the direction of the Lieutenant in question.

Buzz stood up as well, "Yeah, Gus and Rusty are waiting for me anyway."

Before she turned around to join Provenza she gave Buzz another long look. "Good work today, Buzz."

He smiled, more genuinely this time, "Thank you, Captain."

With a last nod, he walked away to meet Gus and Rusty in the media room and she walked over to, the now impatiently waiting, Lieutenant.

* * *

 _ **So this is it. And yes, the Shandy bit took a silly turn, but can you blame me after that cliffhanger?! I had to cheer myself up!  
**_

 _ **Thanks for sticking with this! Your reviews were awesome and I hope that means you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it! :D**_

 _ **I tried keeping this as canon-compliant as possible, I hope I succeeded in that. xD**_

 _ **I'd love to write some scenes for the remaining 8 episodes once they're out, so do let me know if you'd be interested in that. I'll have much less free time on my hands by then and the updates would therefore not be as fast as these were, but I would definitely come up with something.**_

 _ **Again, thank you very much! See ya around! :)**_


	16. 5x14a

_**I'm back with my add-ons to season 5!**_

 _ **I've written these 3 added scenes almost right after 5x14 aired, but I wasn't sure how canon-compliant they would be. That's why I've**_ _ **waited for 5x15 to air, hoping to get a few more answers to some of the questions I had.**_

 _ **Anyway, I concluded that these should work no matter what happens in the next episodes, so here I am posting them.**_

 _ **Can't promise when the update for the next episode will be. It depends on what I come up with and how worried I am about straying from canon. But I**_ **can** _ **tell you I'll update after the finale at the latest. ;)**_

 ** _Either way, give this a read please. As always, I'd love to hear what you think of it!_**

* * *

"So what did she say to you?" Andy asked.

Sharon had retreated to her office once she sent part of the team out to check out their victim's ex and, being on light duty only and unable to join them, Andy found himself keeping her company, sitting in a chair in front of her desk. As much as he despised not being allowed to go out in the field, he had to admit that light duty sometimes didn't sound half as bad if it meant he'd get to spend more time with Sharon.

She had been concentrating on some paperwork and truthfully, he was supposed to be doing the same, but as it so often happened, curiosity (and a bit of concern) got the better of him and now his paperwork lay splayed across his lap forgotten for the time being. At the question, she lifted her head to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Winnie Davis," he added, not that he thought she actually needed the clarification.

And she didn't, for her eyebrow stayed up. "Like I said earlier, she's wanted to complain about me for a while," she shrugged and refocused on the piece of paper in front of her. "And she finally got her chance," she added almost as an afterthought.

It was Andy's turn to raise an eyebrow at her. "What _else_ did she say to you?" he asked.

She looked up at him again, this time, the faintest trace of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Why do you think there _was_ anything _else_?" she asked in return.

He grinned. "Because when you came back you looked like you literally had to swallow," he paused, frowning slightly, "something," he finished lamely.

She put her pen down and smiled, rolling her eyes at the same time. "You're good at your job, Lieutenant," she quipped.

He chuckled. "It's why they keep me on light duty," he muttered sarcastically, rolling his own eyes, but quickly went on before she could, for the umpteenth time, remind him of the real reason why. "So, what did she say?" he asked.

She turned slightly in her chair, facing him sideways now. "She dismissed me by saying, and I quote here," she gave him a pointed look, "'Go ahead, your boyfriend's calling you." She spoke in an almost venomous tone of voice he knew wasn't aimed at him.

Andy's jaw momentarily dropped but he quickly recovered and smirked. "Well, he was," he quipped.

A brief look of surprise crossed her features and suddenly she snorted, her head dropping into a hand between two fingers. "Well, I most certainly hope that's not true," she told him, looking up again seriously even though she was still smiling in amusement.

Andy just shrugged. "Well," he started, throwing her a crooked grin, "your Lieutenant maybe called, but I'm pretty sure your boyfriend was happy to end your, what was it Provenza called it? Pleasant conversation?"

"Andy, that's not funny," she scolded even though she couldn't help but laugh at his words.

He ignored it, glad to see her a bit more relaxed than a moment ago. "Although, I think it's safe to say all of your colleagues were happy to end it," he told her over a meaningful tilt of his head.

Sharon scoffed. "Which just might add to her list of complaints against me," she mumbled.

"Now," he shifted in his seat and pointed a finger at her, "I may not be as good at rules and stuff as you are," he waved a hand at her and she suppressed a smile, because no, he certainly wasn't, "but I'm pretty sure getting along with your co-workers is not against department policy."

She finally smiled again, then threw an almost wistful look behind him at the murder room. Only Buzz and Mike were there. "Which is part of why I like working here," she said, returning her attention to Andy again to shoot him a knowing look.

It didn't take a detective to recognize the jab at his little scene earlier in the morgue, so, knowing what was best for him, he merely said, "She's just trying to get under your skin, Sharon."

"Oh," she let out in a low timbre, "I'm well aware."

He smirked, knowing that tone of voice all too well. "So what are you gonna do about it?"

To his surprise, she shrugged and said, "Nothing."

"Nothing?" he repeated, disbelief evident.

She glanced toward the murder room again. "Let's see how this case goes first," she said, before grabbing her pen again and dropping her eyes onto the file in front of her, effectively putting the matter to rest for now.

...

"Go ahead. Get it off your chest."

Sharon was sitting at a table in the break room, watching Andy as he rummaged through the freezer looking for an ice pack. She had caught her breath finally and was now bracing herself for Andy's upcoming little rant. She had, after all, put herself in harm's way, not only on purpose, but without letting him in on her plan. She'd rather get it over with now than later when she was bound to be fighting a major headache as well.

Finding what he was looking for, he turned around and walked over to her. "You're crazy," he told her, taking a seat next to her and giving her the ice pack.

The words surprised her and she laughed mirthlessly. "What else is new?" she asked, the question followed by a sigh of relief when her cheek made contact with the cold remedy.

"Ha-ha," Andy sarcastically let out. He then shook his head and added, "Letting him punch you?" His voice went up with the incredulity in it. "I know we needed something to hold him on, but," he trailed off, shaking his head at her again.

"I did not _let_ him punch me," she disagreed, giving him a bland look.

"Of course not," he replied sarcastically, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. "You just pushed all his buttons hoping for what? A hug?"

She half scoffed, half smiled. "Well," she shrugged guiltily, "I may have hoped for a shove rather than a punch, but," she trailed off, waving a hand through the air.

He rolled his eyes at her and took a deep breath. "I can't even be mad at you," he told her, the words leaving him on what she could only label as a whine.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why is that?"

"I've used the tactic myself once," he told her, rolling his eyes again. "Only I let a girl punch me," he added on a shrug.

She smiled, then hummed absentmindedly, feeling a slight throbbing underneath her ice pack. "I wish a girl had punched me, too," she said jokingly, grimacing slightly, more for effect than due to actual pain, even though each smile and laugh did send a few prickles through her cheek.

Andy didn't laugh though. "I wish _nobody_ had punched you," he muttered darkly.

She sighed. "I know."

He watched her for a few moments in silence, and briefly, she wondered if he expected an apology. Apart from feeling a bit guilty for scaring him, she had no regrets about finding a way to hold their murderer until they could actually prove he was their guy and there was no way she would apologize for that.

Their next words left them at the same time.

"I'm sorry for scaring you like that," Sharon said.

"I'm sorry for going off like that," Andy said.

They both chuckled but fell silent again, just watching each other.

"You listened when I asked you to back off," she finally said, addressing his apology.

He nodded, briefly looking away, as if trying to reassure himself of that. "I really would have beaten him to a pulp," he told her, his tone of voice close to the one he threatened their suspect in a few minutes ago.

"I'm glad you didn't though," she told him on a small smile.

He looked at her. "I take it threatening him wasn't my smartest move then?" he asked sarcastically.

"No," she said, shaking her head slightly, "it wasn't."

Andy frowned and she knew it wasn't really directed at her. "I meant it though," he told her through gritted teeth.

"I know," she said gently. She wasn't unfamiliar with Andy's protectiveness of not just her, but of anyone he was loyal to. "But yo-"

His eyes suddenly got wide and he asked, interrupting her, "You don't think this Winnie Chief is going to shove this into your face, too?"

She took a moment to think about it before a regretful look crossed her features. "She might."

"Dammit," Andy hissed, abruptly getting to his feet to start pacing. "I didn't think, Sharon," his hands went up in agitation, "instinct kicked in."

"Doesn't matter now," she said soothingly, reaching for his hand to make him stop. When he finally did, she added, "You're not the first cop to threaten a suspect either."

Andy suddenly chuckled. "You've been around our squad for way too long," he told her, shaking his head at her, "if that's all you have to say about it."

She laughed softly. "I'm not saying I condone the behavior," she defended herself pointedly. "However, I do understand the sentiment behind it," she added on a more softer note.

"I'll try to reign it in next time," he promised, sitting down again.

"I know you will," she said honestly, patting his hand before letting go of it. "I do hope there won't be a next time though," she added as she leaned back in her chair, readjusting her ice pack. She sounded hopeful, too.

"Well, stop provoking people and there really won't be," he retorted, suddenly throwing her a dark glare.

"I'll try," she said, laughing again, but sobering quickly when his glare remained in place. She dropped the ice pack into her lap. "You know this," she pointed a hand at her face, "is part of the job, Andy," she told him, meeting his glare with one of her own.

He took a breath accompanied by almost a groan. "Well, then you know, I hate that part of the job," he finally replied.

One of her eyebrows briefly went up and she nodded slowly. "I do," she confirmed.

He gave her an irritated look, and she knew it wasn't aimed at her, but rather at the situation, but said nothing in response. Instead, he leaned forward, his look softening. He tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear to trace his fingers over her injured cheek. "Maybe we should have a doctor look at that?" he suggested quietly. "You didn't hit the table, too, did you?" he added, his concern raising his voice slightly.

She briefly closed her eyes and smiled. "No, Andy," she told him on a sigh. "Didn't hit the table either," she added. "Although I can already feel a headache coming on," she admitted, "I'm sure it would hurt much more if something was broken."

He looked at her for a long moment, as if deciding whether to insist on it or not, but finally pulled his hand back and leaned back into his chair. "Alright," he relented.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath, glad to put the matter behind them for the time being. She pressed the ice pack against her cheek again and stood up. "Let's finish up," she told him, "I believe we both have paperwork to get to. You have that test, too."

He rolled his eyes but got up as well. "Can't take part in the exercise but have to take the stupid test," he muttered under his breath.

She, of course, still heard every single word. "You're worried you'll fail?" she teased, walking toward the door with him.

He shot her an unimpressed glare, but only huffed in response.

She grinned at him, trying to ignore the slightly more intense pain that shot through the left side of her face. She grimaced involuntarily anyway.

He was about to open the door for her but, of course, noticed her expression and stopped. "You okay?" he asked worriedly.

She rolled her eyes. "I forgot how many muscles there were in a cheek," she mumbled, sounding more annoyed than bothered by the pain.

He offered her a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, I know the feeling. Keep that ice on it," his lifted his chin, indicating her ice pack, "it'll numb it a bit."

"I will," she said on a nod, then looked at the door expectantly, since he had his hand on the knob.

He still didn't open it, however, and instead gave her a long, hard look. He spoke only when she quirked an eyebrow at him in question.

"Don't do that again," he told her in a low, quiet tone of voice, which let her know she was definitely not talking to her Lieutenant at the moment. She was already ready to protest and again remind him of the job description but she quickly deflated when he added, and in a less intimate tone of voice, "At least not without telling one of us first."

"Okay," she said quietly. That much she could do. That much she should do actually.

When he just stood rooted to the spot watching her, not completely convinced of her response, she threw a quick glance through the window and, satisfied with what she saw, or rather didn't see, took a step closer to him and, bringing her free hand up to his cheek, pressed her lips to his.

"I promise," she said when she pulled back, giving his cheek a quick caress before dropping her hand.

He smiled and briefly rested his forehead against hers, running a hand down the side of her arm. When he took a deep breath, she knew he had finally put the matter to rest as well.

He straightened up then and nodded.

"Let's go then," he told her in a lighter tone, finally pulling the door wide open for her. "Before I'm accused of being your boyfriend again," he added on a forced eye roll.

She chuckled and walked through the door. "You _are_ my boyfriend," she quipped as she passed him.

He grinned smugly and went after her.

...

It did not surprise Andy to find Sharon sound asleep when he got home. He smiled to himself when he realized she had left the lamp on his side of the bed on for him, and quietly went about his evening routine before slipping under the covers next to her. He settled in on his back and reached out to turn the light off when Sharon stirred and scooted closer to him.

"You're home," she mumbled sleepily.

He hummed in confirmation. "Didn't mean to wake you," he whispered, finally turning the lamp off.

She hummed, too and wrapped her hands around his arm as she settled her forehead against his bicep. "It's okay," she said, sounding more awake now. "I would have waited up for you but," she ended the sentence on a tired sigh.

"How's the head?" Andy asked, knowing that was why she had probably admitted defeat and decided to go to sleep without him.

She stayed quiet for a moment as if having to actually check on it before being able to answer. "Painkillers do wonders," she finally said and he could tell she smiled even though he couldn't see her face.

"Good, sleep now," he told her, covering up a yawn with the palm of his hand.

"Mhm," she said in agreement only to add, after a brief pause, "How'd the test go?"

He scoffed. "Even rookies would have nailed it," he muttered.

She chuckled. "Good," she said, then pressed a kiss to the side of his arm before snuggling into it again.

He smiled and dropped a kiss to the part of her head he could reach. "Will you go back to sleep now, please?" he asked. He wanted her to get some rest. He knew getting sucker punched could leave you with one hell of a headache, despite painkillers or aspirin.

She let out another, "Mhm," a more contemplative one this time and it had Andy narrow his eyes at her, even though he could barely make her out in the darkness.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

She took a deep breath before exhaling and then suddenly let go of him to sit up and turn on the light on her side of the bed.

It took him a second to readjust to the lifted darkness, but once he did, he found her silent, just watching him. "What is it?" he asked, growing quite concerned now and pushing himself up into a seated position as well.

She took another breath and as she let it out again, he heard a breathy "Phillip Stroh." leave her lips.

He instantly tensed up, a dreadful feeling washing over him. It had been a while since last he heard that name. He shifted sideways slightly to get a proper look at her. He could make out the bruising on the left side of her face, but what worried him more now was the obvious tightness in her jaw.

"What about him?" he asked, almost hesitantly.

When she swallowed, he knew it wasn't anything good. "He's back in the country apparently," she said quietly, meeting his concerned gaze.

Andy frowned. "Apparently?" he asked.

"Nothing's been confirmed yet," she said, the breathy quality to her words giving them a both exasperated and anxious edge. "Just a thin lead connected to Pennsylvania." She gave the door a quick look. "Chief Howard gave me a report on it, it's in my purse."

Andy's frown remained in place. "Not that thin a lead if he told you about it," he told her.

She shook her head. "No," she said, placing a hand on his thigh, probably trying to calm him down, "right now there are more guesses than actual proof. He just didn't want me out of the loop is all."

"In case they stumble on actual proof," he muttered.

She sighed in response, giving his thigh a gentle squeeze before pulling her hand back. When she stayed quiet, he gave her a concerned, questioning look.

"I've not forgotten about him, Andy," she finally said. "But when he said 'Phillip Stroh'," she trailed off, letting out a shaky breath.

"Your heart uncomfortably skipped a beat?" he offered.

She rolled her eyes. "That's an understatement."

"Does Rusty know?" he asked.

She sighed and shook her head. "He's so excited about law school," she gave him a sad look, the one he had last seen nearly two years ago after they had arrested Burning Man and it only intensified his concern. "And things with Gus are going well," she paused, then, on a shrug, added, less certain of herself, "I think." He smiled despite himself. "I promised never to keep things from him, Andy," she went on much more seriously, her look turning pleading now, "but, at this point it might just be a false report, right?"

She looked on the verge of tears, seeking reassurance, so Andy snaked an arm behind her and pulled her into his side. "We'll keep him safe regardless, Sharon," he told her, rather heatedly. "Both of you," he added, squeezing her close to himself.

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I just wish," her voice hitched and instead of trying to end her sentence she took a deep breath.

He put his other arm around her and pulled her closer to him, if that was even possible. "I know, Sharon," he said soothingly. He too, wished Stroh was no longer in their lives.

Silence fell over them for a while and Andy did not bother trying to lift it. There was not much he could say anyway, he would need to read the report himself first. But since he knew she would not have left it in her purse had she wanted him to read it right away, he decided against asking for it. Besides, if it couldn't wait until morning he would not have found her asleep when he arrived home in the first place.

Sharon did not cry. He knew she wouldn't. Not because she did not want to in front of him, but because she refused to allow someone like Stroh to be the reason for it, at least not while they had no conclusive evidence about his current whereabouts.

It didn't stop her from worrying though. Or him.

As he let his mind wander he started feeling more irritated than worried all of a sudden. Before realizing what he was going to do, he let out a frustrated sigh, the movement of his chest, of course, snapping Sharon out of whatever thoughts she was in. She gently pulled out of his embrace and looked at him.

"I need to think about it, Andy. I don't know if or when I'll tell him," she said, sounding slightly irritated herself.

He shook his head and reached out for her hand, dropping his gaze on it. "I know you do," he told her. "It's your decision to make anyway, that's not what this is about," he added. And it was true. He could offer input, opinions, support, of course, but she was the one who would decide what to do with the little information they apparently had so far.

A small frown creased her forehead. "Oh," she let out, surprised, clearly having misinterpreted his sigh.

He chuckled briefly and finally looked at her again. "It's just," he sighed again, "whenever we catch a break, something crops up and turns everything upside-down again," he told her on a resigned shrug.

Her features softened and she looked at their joined hands for a moment before meeting his eyes. "You," the word left her on a much lower timbre than he was used to, "do not turn everything upside-down," she told him over a stern look.

He looked heavenward. Of course she would guess where he was coming from. Sarcastically, he replied, "Because blood clots, surgeries and heart attacks are a delight to be around."

She gave him one of those indulging looks he was rather used to by now and said, "All of you moved in with me, Andy, your health issues included. Just like you moved in with all of _me_ , my kid included." The corner of her lip and an eyebrow quirked up at her reference to Rusty and he had to smile at her. On a somewhat bitter note though, she added, "Serial rapists and murderers apparently included, too."

That wiped the smile off Andy's face. "That's not funny," he grumbled, letting his frustrations out by sliding down the bed to lie flat on his back again and forcefully hitting his pillow with the back of his head.

Surprisingly, she chuckled and dropped a quick kiss to his cheek, before lying down on her side. "Neither are your heart problems," she told him seriously.

In response he only shot her an annoyed look, but she merely smiled at him, before turning around to turn the lamp off and settling against the side of his arm again.

"Let's sleep," she said quietly.

He grunted. "Nothing we can do about any of it now, anyway," he muttered. He was tired and he was sure she was, too. "Good night," he added when she hummed in agreement.

Instead of wishing him goodnight in return, Sharon suddenly lifted her head as they heard the front door open. When she spoke, he could tell she was giving him a surprised look, despite the darkness in the room.

"Rusty's home."

"Hmm, that a good or a bad sign?" he asked, really not sure.

She stayed quiet for a moment, listening to Rusty's quiet footsteps in the hallway. When they heard the door to his room close, she dropped her head again and said, resigned. "We'll find out tomorrow, I guess."

He hummed in acknowledgement and turned to his side to face her. "Night, Sharon," he told her before giving her a quick kiss and closing his eyes.

He smiled when she found his hand and laced their fingers together. She hummed rather sleepily as she shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Night, Andy," she finally mumbled, closing her own eyes.


	17. 5x14b

_**Here's another added scene for 5x14, connected to the last scene of my previous chapter. Had an idea about something like this last week already, but didn't know what would happen in 5x15, but now that I do know, I finally scribbled down a little something for you.**_

 ** _Don't know how believable this is, but you know what I say: I only wish for something_ along these lines _to happen! :)_**

* * *

She was up early, long before her alarm went off. Not surprising really. She had gone to bed much earlier than usually the previous night. She was in the kitchen now, in the middle of pouring herself a cup of coffee when she heard him opening the door. Usually, the sound of the bathroom door opening would follow a moment later, however, this time what followed was the sound of his footsteps as he padded down the hallway towards her.

She may have been up early, but she was certainly not the first one to wake up.

She had her back turned to him when she heard him come to a stop.

"Oh," he was clearly surprised to see her up and about already, "morning, mom," he said.

She turned around, carefully taking a sip of her procured coffee. She smiled behind her mug and offered a cheerful, "Morning, Rusty. Coffee's fresh."

She was rather curious about what had happened last night. But, deciding not to prod just yet, she watched him round the counter, without really looking at her, to get himself a cup of coffee as well. He was fidgety, a sure tell that he would speak up on his own once he knew what to say.

Only when he found himself a cup, did his eyes finally land on her and he suddenly let out a muffled gasp. "That looks awful, mom!" he said, shocked, forgetting the cup and putting it down on the counter to give her face a concerned once over. "Does it hurt?" he asked.

She let her eyes do a slow roll before she could stop herself. "Don't worry, Rusty, it's nothing," she told him, turning around to take a seat at the head of the dining table.

Rusty shook his head, but took his cup again to fill it up with coffee while sarcastically repeating, "It's nothing."

She offered him an indulging smile. He had been busy with Andrea and so preoccupied with Gus after work yesterday that he hadn't gotten around to properly panic about her unfortunate injury. She would let him get it out of his system now.

He turned on his heel to glare at her. "A guy punched you in the face, mom. That bruise," he waved the hand not holding his cup at her, "is not nothing!"

He was right. It did hurt a little. It was a dull, annoying, occasional throb of pain actually. And it looked a lot worse than it did yesterday. "It'll pass, don't worry about it," she assured him before, on a much softer note, adding, "I'm sorry you had to see it happen though."

Rusty, having finally filled his cup with coffee, walked over and took a seat to her right. "Sorry?" he repeated in disbelief. "I'm not," he told her rather confidently, taking a sip of his coffee now.

She narrowed her eyes at him briefly. That was a surprise. "How come?" she sounded as puzzled as she felt.

"I realized what a badass you are, mom," he told her, grinning.

She snorted unexpectedly. Her coffee dangerously sloshed around her cup, but thankfully did not spill over the rim. "Badass, huh?" she repeated amused, putting her coffee down on the table.

He gave her a wide-eyed look. "You totally provoked him on purpose and then took his punch like a pro!" he exclaimed. "So yeah, badass," he confirmed with a resolute nod of his head.

"I _am_ a pro," she told him, quirking an amused eyebrow at him, barely containing the grin that was threatening to explode on her face.

He gave her humor a bland look. "I saw you kick in a door, heard you shoot your weapon," he told her, a hint of impatience to his words. "But this, I mean, don't get me wrong, I wish you weren't hurt," he eyed her bruise with a painful grimace. "But this you only did to get to hold him a while longer. Wow." His last word was laced with pure awe.

It was no use fighting it. She finally let the grin spread over her features, although she still shook her head at him. It was not often that he showed this openly how impressed he was by something. "Well," she shrugged, "to be honest, I did not exactly expect him to punch me," she admitted.

He considered her for a moment. "Yeah," he said, when he realized what she meant, "you only needed him to become aggressive with you, right? To try to push you or slap you maybe? So you could charge him with," he paused and frowned a little, "what do you call it," he waved a hand through the air, "assault on a police officer?"

"Yes," she confirmed, nodding.

"You scared me there for a moment though," he told her, suddenly looking more serious and less excited.

She smiled a bit ruefully. "Not just you," she told him.

Rusty looked in front of him, in the direction of her bedroom. "I doubt the Lieutenant was too _happy_ about it either," he said. "He looked ready to beat the crap out of that guy."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God he didn't."

And just like that his face fell, whatever lightheartedness there was to their conversation evaporating with the thoughts that crossed his mind. "He'd do anything for you, wouldn't he?" he asked softly, even though he was giving her a rather sharp look.

The smile that graced her lips came on its own volition and she nodded in the affirmative. "He might even be more protective of me than I'd want him to be," she said, surprising herself a bit with the sudden admission.

He dropped his gaze onto the coffee cup between his hands and, in response, only let out a contemplative, "Huh."

With that he fell silent. She took a sip of her coffee and was just about to finally simply ask what happened last night, when he spoke again.

"Gus asked me to move in with him."

He sounded rather dejected, whereas she suddenly felt immensely proud of him. She wasn't sure he was ready to really move out yet. Truth be told, she wasn't sure _she_ was ready for that, but the fact that something so normal, so wonderful could happen to him after everything he had gone through warmed her heart and made it swell up with pride at his accomplishment.

"He did?" she asked, her voice raising ever so slightly in pitch. The painful alarm bells with the name Phillip Stroh written all over them, she chose to ignore for the time being. She would think about and decide on that later.

"Mhm," he confirmed, busying himself with another sip of his coffee.

"And?" she gently prodded.

He sighed and looked at her. "I asked him to let me think about it."

She smiled. That was a reasonable demand. "Mhm, and do you _want_ to move in with him?" she finally asked.

When he swallowed before answering, she knew there was more to the answer he was about to give her. "No, not right now," he said.

"Well," she said, getting to her feet, "you'll have to tell Gus that."

She ignored the temporarily shocked look he shot her and, carrying her half-empty cup of coffee, walked into the kitchen.

"What if he breaks up with me though?" he asked her as she leaned against the bar counter to look at him.

"What if he doesn't?" she asked in reply, raising an eyebrow at him.

He sighed and looked away again. He was just about to say something, when they heard her bedroom door open, Andy's steps soon following. Sharon gave Rusty a surprised look, when he promptly closed his mouth. He had had no qualms about discussing Gus in front of Andy the other night so this was unusual. Rusty noticed her, but just shrugged her off and kept quiet. She supposed he just didn't want to go over it all again.

"Morning," Andy said, when he saw them, drawing her attention to him.

His step faltered for a brief second, clearly picking up on either Sharon's slight confusion or Rusty's glum mood, probably both, but still he walked toward the counter to peck her on the lips.

She smiled. "Morning."

He raised an eyebrow and threw Rusty a look. "You alright?"

Rusty just groaned in response before finally looking up at him and saying, "Good morning."

With that Rusty dropped his eyes onto his coffee cup again, so Andy gave Sharon a questioning look.

She briefly closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. She knew he got the message, when he just shrugged and walked past her to help himself to a glass of water.

Rusty however got to his feet and made his way back to his room, his coffee in hand, before Andy could even locate an empty glass. He needed to get ready for work was his excuse.

"Bad sign then," Andy said once they heard Rusty's door close with a slightly louder click than usually. He had filled his glass with water in the meantime and had now turned around, leaning against the sink, to give Sharon's back a look, her eyes still on the spot she last saw Rusty in.

She sighed, effectively confirming his words. "I think he's done talking about it for now though," she said, turning around to face him, her coffee now forgotten on the counter behind her.

"I noticed," Andy mumbled, shooting a look in the direction of Rusty's room.

"I'm sure they'll figure it out," she said, waving it off, even though she was more hoping for it than she was sure of it.

He tilted his head a bit to regard her, clearly considering what to say for a moment. "You're up early," he finally told her.

She smiled, appreciating his change of topic. "As are you," she pointed out, because really, unless a case interrupted, they usually had another half hour of sleep ahead of them before their alarm clocks would go off.

He smiled crookedly. "I got lonely," he said, shrugging.

She chuckled and took the two steps separating them, then lifted on her toes to give him a proper good morning kiss. When she pulled back, she raised an eyebrow. "Better now?" she asked.

He grinned but shook his head.

"Really?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

His grin was replaced by a softer look as he lifted a hand to her face to run his fingers over her bruised cheek. "How's that treating you?" he asked in concern.

She suppressed an eye roll. "To tell you the truth, it's more annoying than painful."

He briefly narrowed his eyes at her, as if weighing her words. "It looks awful though," he told her, frowning slightly, too.

This time she did roll her eyes. "I hope make-up will cover it up," she said jokingly.

He didn't laugh. Instead he asked, seriously, "You're not downplaying it, are you?"

She shook her head. "No, Andy," she said softly. She worried about him all the time, of course, he'd worry about her as well. "It's really not that painful, I promise."

She hadn't even noticed just how tense he had been until she saw his shoulders visibly relax and slacken. But before she could comment on it, he joined their lips again.

"Much better now," he said, smiling when he pulled back.

In response, she laughed.

* * *

 _ **I love Rusty, and I really liked his progress in episode 5x15 (I enjoyed the entire episode really) and I'm all for the mothership and Gusty feels, however, I was a little bugged that once again we had Rusty interrupt Shandy, while he got a solo Gusty scene, so it's not a coincidence that I had Andy interrupt him here. Letting off some steam in the form of a private, fictional vengeance, I guess. XD**_

 _ **Anyways, I hope you had fun reading this. :)**_


	18. 5x15a

_**There wasn't much that I thought needed to be added to 5x15. Of course, I could always come up with a Shandy scene, especially since a certain someone always interrupts them**_ _ **, but I forewent that this time (for now) and decided to focus on another favorite character of mine besides Sharon.**_

 _ **I think this is safe to post no matter what happens in the upcoming episodes, so here you go, guys! :)**_

* * *

She looked up from her desk when she heard a knock on her open door. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow when she saw Lieutenant Provenza leaning against her office door frame.

"County's got him, Captain," he said. "We can call it a day." On a heavy sigh, he added, "Finally."

She nodded. "Finally," she agreed.

"See you tomorrow," he told her, already turning around to head out.

"Good night, Lieutenant," she replied and watched him throw Andy and Julio a casual wave over his shoulder as he made his way out of the murder room.

She turned her laptop off and collected her things, killing the lights in her office before leaving it. There was still a bit of paperwork left to do, but it was nothing that couldn't be put off until the next day. When she reached Andy, she put a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention.

He turned in his chair and looked up. "You done?"

"Mhm," she confirmed, eyeing Julio behind his desk. He seemed lost in thought and unlike Andy's, his jacket was still draped over the back of his chair. He did not look ready to call it a night. "You'll be able to catch that meeting after all," she said, smiling and finally looking back at Andy. He had mentioned hoping to get to one if they wrapped it up here in time.

"Yeah," he said, standing up. "Even have a few minutes to spare," he added, checking his watch. "That means I can walk down with you," he informed her, quirking an eyebrow at her and offering her half a smile.

She smiled back but looked at Julio again and squeezed Andy's forearm. "No, you go ahead," she said, a bit distractedly. "I'll see you at home."

Andy frowned for a second, but then his gaze fell on Julio as well. "Ah," he let out in quiet understanding. He covered her hand with his for a moment. "See you at home then," he told her before walking past her toward the exit of the murder room. "Night, Julio," he added on his way.

Julio looked up, finally pulled out of his thoughts. "Goodnight, Lieutenant," he told Andy's retreating back. "Cap-" he started to add, but stopped himself to give Sharon a puzzled look instead when he realized she was not following him. "You're not heading home as well, Captain?" he asked.

She smiled. "I am." She tilted her head at where Andy just disappeared from. "He isn't though. He's hitting a meeting first," she explained.

He nodded and somewhat absentmindedly, said, "We could all use one of those, I guess."

She sighed sadly. While none of her team members exactly liked cases like these, she knew that alongside herself and probably Andy, Julio took them the hardest. She, however, considered the fact one of his finer qualities, even if it often triggered some of his lesser ones. She walked over to Amy's desk and, securing her purse over her shoulder before loosely folding her arms across her chest, carefully paced her next words.

"Cases involving children are never easy to handle."

He frowned, obviously having a clear idea about just how to handle it this time. "He may not have molested kids himself, may have even been molested himself, Captain," he started quietly, his words laced with his still simmering anger, "but I'd have thrown him in prison and let everyone know what he did do." He ended his sentence by giving her a heated look.

She understood the sentiment to an extent, but said, a hint of a reprimand to her words, "We are not executioners."

He scoffed, turning his chair slightly. "Cases like these make me wish we were though," he muttered, dropping his gaze onto his desk.

She smiled briefly, still not faulting his sentiment. "More good will come out of _this_ deal, Julio," she told him gently, leaning against Amy's empty desk chair now.

"Yeah," he agreed on a sigh, still rather begrudgingly though, before looking up at her again. "How do you do it, Ma'am?" he asked, his genuine curiosity slightly raising the pitch of his usually low voice.

Her eyebrows went up. "Do what?"

"Don't let it get to you," he clarified.

"Oh," she let out on a hum. She straightened up again. "It _does_ get to me," she argued.

He shifted a bit uncomfortably in his chair and slowly shook his head. "That's not what I meant, Ma'am," he said apologetically.

She waved a hand at him and offered a reassuring smile. "I know what you meant, Julio," she told him. When he relaxed again, she said, "I've learned to deal with it." She shrugged, knowing it was a rather lousy explanation. "Talking to my children always helps," she added on a more cheerful note, hoping that would make more sense to him.

He nodded contemplatively, his gaze dropping to his desk again. "Lieutenant Flynn goes to AA meetings," he said.

"And talks to his own children," she added, smiling again.

"Yeah," was all he said in response before lapsing into complete silence.

Deciding to end the conversation, she gave him a pointed look and said, "That paperwork can wait until tomorrow, Detective."

He chuckled but said, sure of his decision apparently, "I'd rather be done with it tonight, Ma'am."

"Hm, I understand," she said, knowing that was one way of dealing with it. She checked her watch then. "I, on the other hand, hope to get hold of Ricky. He should still be up, I think."

Julio smiled at her. "Goodnight then, Captain."

Before she could turn around and walk out however, a thought popped into her head and she leaned against the back of Amy's chair again. She reached out a hand to tap a finger over the picture frame he had given more than one look in the past few minutes. "I think you have another way of dealing with this, Julio." She quirked a knowing eyebrow at him. "It's not that late yet."

He raised his eyebrows in understanding and smiled a brighter smile this time. "I do," he agreed, nodding solemnly, his gaze fixed on the picture she pointed out.

At that, she pushed off the chair. "Goodnight then, Julio," she told him, finally turning around to leave.

She smiled to herself when there was finally a bit more lightheartedness in his voice.

"See you tomorrow, Captain," he told her.

* * *

 ** _It's hard to tell how close Julio and Sharon are, but we do know that both feel very protective of one another. That's why I'm always dying to see more scenes involving the two, especially more emotional ones. And with Julio's temper in this episode, I kinda wish something like the scene above had happened. I so wanna have another episode where Julio and Sharon are pushed into the foreground. Raymond and Mary are such an awesome combo in my book, and I really love seeing them interact on the show, but a few minutes per episode just isn't enough. I want more!_**

 ** _P.S. As always, thank you for all your reviews! I love hearing from you!_**


	19. 5x16a

_**I liked this episode, the change in pace, it being centered around Amy instead of Rusty, having Judge Grove and Rothman back and meeting the last of the competition for Assistant Chief. I didn't even mind the lack of proper Shandy. That being said, I have a little something regarding them in the works. But before I get to that, there's a little something about Rusty actually that I decided to write first.**_

 _ **It's just a teeny tiny bit that kinda bugged me and I had to get it out of my system. Sorry it's so short.**_

* * *

"Rusty?" Sharon said, putting a hand over the side of his arm.

"Yeah?" Rusty responded, coming to a stop.

Sharon exchanged a quick look with Andrea and Andy, letting them know it would only take a moment. They nodded and walked down the hall giving them some privacy.

"What was that?" Sharon asked quietly, tilting her head to the closed doors of the courtroom they just left.

"What?" Rusty said in response, frowning.

"I know a guilty look when I see one," Sharon said, raising an eyebrow at him and folding her arms across her chest. "And you definitely had a guilty look when I turned around, Rusty," she added.

"I hate that Rothman lady," he muttered.

"So how'd you make her laugh?" Sharon asked.

"She waved at me," he said, rolling his eyes.

"She waved at you?" she repeated, giving him an incredulous look.

He nodded.

"And what did _you_ do?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

He swallowed and, probably knowing she wouldn't stop asking until he just told her what happened, he said, "I gave her the finger."

Sharon's eyebrows shot up. "You what?" she asked, her voice becoming lower, reaching those more threatening notes of hers.

"What?" Rusty asked defensively, raising his voice slightly, clearly ignoring their surroundings. "She deserves much worse and you know it!"

Suddenly, Sharon laughed, but it lasted barely a moment. "Rusty, I'm not her biggest fan either." Over a pointed look, she added, "For obvious reasons." When he gave her an unimpressed look, she went on, "But I'm sure you can think of more mature ways of dealing with her."

"Oh, come on, mom," Rusty let out, looking heavenwards. "It's not like I punched her or something."

"You want to punch her?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Like you don't," he countered in a low tone of voice.

She offered a small smile, effectively giving in to that point. Changing tactics, she uncrossed her arms and sighed. "What were the only two things I ever asked of you?" she asked.

Rusty gave her a puzzled look.

"I asked of you _to be_ ," Sharon clarified.

"Oh," Rusty's face fell, his features softening as it dawned on him.

"Yes?" Sharon encouraged.

"To be safe," he bowed his head for a moment before meeting her eyes again, "and to be kind."

"Exactly," she said on a soft smile.

He took a breath, looking around. "You're right, I-I," he stuttered, searching for the right words, "I shouldn't have done that. I'm better than that."

Her smile got wider and she squeezed his shoulder briefly. "That you are, Rusty."

"I'm sorry," he said.

Sharon tilted her head, indicating him to start walking again. "She pushes all our buttons," she said as they finally followed Andrea and Andy, "but there are better ways of handling her," she gave him a pointed look, "especially in a courtroom."

Rusty chuckled. "Yeah, you're right," he repeated. "Again," he added, rolling his eyes at her in an exaggerated manner.

She drew her shoulders together innocently.

"So you really didn't see me?" he asked when she offered nothing more, but just continued walking down the hall in silence.

She shook her head. "Just your 'Oh, she didn't see that, right?' look," she told him, a slight smirk on her face now.

He groaned. "Am I really that easy to read?"

She smiled and bumped her shoulder against his. "Only to me," she told him conspiratorially.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm sure being a detective helps, too," he mumbled, smiling at her though.

She shrugged. "It _can_ come in handy at times, yes," she agreed.

He shook his head at her as they turned the corner to find Andy and Andrea waiting for them in front of the elevator.

"Thanks," Rusty said quietly.

Surprised, Sharon looked at him. "For what?"

"For being you," he said on a shrug.

She could only smile and run a hand down his arm affectionately, before Andy, whom they'd in the meantime reached, interrupted.

"Elevator's waiting," he told them just as the doors opened.

* * *

 ** _Rusty flicking her off was a great scene, Rothman totally deserved it, but I'd like to believe that Sharon wouldn't have appreciated the gesture had she seen it and it looked like she noticed_ something _happened. So I wanted to explore what she might have done about it._**


	20. 5x15b

_**So remember how I said I forewent writing a Shandy add-on for 5x15**_ **for now** _ **? Well, I wrote a scene later, like an hour after posting that Julio bit, only I saved the thing under the name 'urgh' instead of my usual episode name tag and totally forgot about it. XD**_

 ** _Despite overall liking the episode I was a bit salty toward Rusty for interrupting Shandy's conversation about Andy's heart attack, which I really wanna hear more about so maybe that saltiness spoiled the characters a bit here, I don't know._**

 ** _Either way, I_** _ **decided to post this even though I've already moved on to 5x16. You might wanna read chapter 18 here first, because there are references that will probably make more sense if you know what happened in my first add-on to this episode.**_

 ** _Anyway, sorry for the long intro. Here goes nothing!_**

* * *

Andy let himself into the condo just in time to hear Sharon say, "Okay, bye, honey."

He put his keys away and walked toward the sound of her voice in the living room.

"Ricky?" he asked, watching her put her phone down on the coffee table.

She turned her head and smiled. "Rusty," she said.

Andy's eyebrows shot up and he looked around the room, noting his absence. "He on his way home?" he asked, flopping down onto the couch next to her as he was loosening his tie.

She offered a bright smile and said, "Nope."

He chuckled. "Nope?" he repeated, amused.

"Nope," she reiterated, still smiling and turning slightly to face him.

"So, judging by that," he waved a hand at her face, "the Rusty-Gus crisis has been resolved?" he asked, smiling a little now as well.

"Yes," she let out on a relieved sigh, slumping sideways into the back of the couch, facing him.

He laughed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're happier about it than Rusty probably is."

She swatted him lightly on his chest. "Oh, hush," she scolded. "You know the funk he was in these past few days," she added, her hand that landed on his chest now giving him a gentle caress, "of course I'm happy he found a way out of it."

Andy grinned. "Funk, huh?" he said.

She rolled her eyes. "How'd the meeting go?" she asked.

He shrugged in answer. "I'm happy Rusty's out of his funk, too," he said over a pointed look that made her smile. "You're getting into the habit of changing topics, my dear," he told her teasingly, waving a finger at her.

That wiped the smile off her face. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, maybe just a tad too quickly.

"Mhm," he offered sarcastically, taking her hand and tugging her into his side. "Rusty, dinner's still warm," he mock-repeated her words from the previous night's dinner.

She snaked her arms around his waist, snuggling into him and hummed. "I was worried about him," she said, somewhat defensively. "Besides, you're the one who dropped your subject and asked about Stroh."

He hummed contemplatively before asking, "So if I pick the subject up again you won't try to change it again?"

She pulled back to look at him. "Well, I will, if you plan on going over what you've already told me about a hundred times so far."

He sighed. "I really don't get it though," he told her, the words ending on an annoyed grunt.

She sighed, too. "There's nothing _to_ get, Andy," she said, pulling away completely to face him fully. "You had a heart attack." She offered a somewhat sad smile and, placing a hand over his heart, added, "You scared the crap out of all of us. And now," she took a breath, "you need to think about lowering your stress levels so that it doesn't happen again."

He groaned. "That still doesn't change the fact that you changed the topic," he said.

She gave him a temporarily wide-eyed look before shaking her head at him. "And who's changing it now?" she countered.

"We've had this stress-discussion a thousand times in the last few months," he grumbled.

"Which is why I found it safe to deal with Rusty first instead of you and your denial," she said, somewhat irritated now. "I was merely postpo-"

"Denial?" he interrupted, raising an eyebrow at her and giving her a look of utter disbelief.

"Yes, denial," she said rather forcefully. "You _are_ stressed, Andy," she added, poking a finger into his chest.

"I don't feel-"

She waved a hand in front of him and shook her head, cutting him off. "Yes, you do, you just call it worry instead of stress, Andy." She sighed at his unimpressed look. "You worry about a lot of things. About your health, about me, about work, about this assistant chief business. You even worry about Rusty," she told him gently. "I honestly don't know what else I can tell you to make you understand that." She pinned him with a hard look and added, "Andy, you need to take better care of yourself. I'm not sure either one of us can handle another heart attack."

He swallowed at the slight hitch in her voice in her final sentence and wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her into his embrace again. "I'm sorry," he told her honestly. "I know I worry _you_ now, too and that was nev-"

"Worry me?" she repeated incredulously, effectively interrupting him again. "You terrified me, Andy!" she let out heatedly, wrapping her arms around him again, tightly this time. " _You_ were terrified, Andy," she pointed out more calmly. "How can you not get it through your thick head that you're on light duty for a reason?" she asked, exasperated now. "And that, for the same reason, you might even stay on it?" she added.

He flopped his head on the backrest of the couch. "My thick head," he repeated sarcastically, "gets it. It just doesn't like it."

"None of us like it," she mumbled, lifting her head to prop her chin up on his shoulder, her grip on him loosening. When he rolled his head to look at her, she continued, "But that doesn't change the fact that we have to deal with it."

He sighed and lifted his head. "You and your dealing," he mumbled, giving her a quick kiss.

She smiled and pressed her cheek against his chest. He knew she was giving his heartbeat a listen, not for the first time since his heart attack, and probably not the last one either.

"So did you get it out of your system?" she asked when he offered no further complaints.

He chuckled. This really wasn't the first time they were discussing this. "I'm good for a few days," he told her.

She laughed, but in admonishment said, "This really isn't a laughing matter, Andy."

"I know," he said seriously.

She hummed in response.

"So," he dragged the word out slightly, clearly changing topics again, and, as expected, it had her lift her head again to look at him, "you said Rusty's _not_ on his way home?" he asked, meeting her look.

She smiled. "No, he is not," she confirmed.

"Finally," he said on a forced sigh of relief.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Finally?" she repeated, the tone of her voice holding just the slightest of warning.

"Yes, finally," Andy said confidently, then gave the room a quick look. "I can finally," he repeated the word on a sly grin, "do this," he pressed his lips to hers for a moment, "without worrying about him stumbling into the condo and stealing all your attention away."

"He doesn't steal all my-" she started to say, shaking her head and furrowing her brow.

Andy violently nodded. "Oh, yes, he does," he argued. "But don't worry, I don't mind," he added, shrugging. "Especially since I know you'll make it up to me," he added, kissing her again.

She pushed him back, her palm flat on his chest. "Make it up to you?" she asked, giving him a bland look, although there was no denying the amusement in her tone of voice.

"Yes," he confirmed confidently, nodding. "Well," he added, suddenly rubbing his fingers over his chin, "maybe not make it up," he said, shrugging again. "But come on, Sharon, you gotta admit," he was grinning at her now, "you like having me all to yourself."

"Oh, is that so?" she challenged, failing to keep her own grin at bay.

He nodded. "And I mean outside the bedroom," he added.

She burst out laughing. She made an attempt to say something but instead only started laughing harder, dropping her forehead onto his shoulder, her laughter having her shake a little.

He gave the top of her head a surprised look. He had aimed for a laugh but had not expected this reaction. All he could do in response however, was laugh with her.

Finally, managing to pull herself together, she looked up at him again. "Oh, I needed this," she said on a happy sigh.

"Yeah?" he asked, amused.

"Yeah," she, slightly mockingly, repeated his word in confirmation. "Rusty, Stroh, this awful case," she listed off in explanation, absentmindedly looking past him. "Thank you," she said, her eyes refocusing on him.

He smiled. "My pleasure," he told her.

She smiled, too. "Speaking of pleasure," she started, inching her face to his.

"Yeah?" he prodded.

"I _love_ having you all to myself," she whispered, before finally closing the gap between them.


	21. 5x16b

_**There are three add-ons here. The first one takes place after Sharon's little pep talk with Amy before they all headed home. The second one takes place immediately after the episode ends.**_

 _ **The third one, I wrote in response to one of maidenpride's suggestions. It's more exploratory, I think, and probably way off canon possibility, but I gave it a shot because her ideas piqued my curiosity as well. The scene takes place after the first two, by the way. I hope it didn't suck so do tell me what you thought of it, maidenpride.**_

 _ **The rest of you, too, of course!**_

* * *

The first one

"What is it with her and Mark Hickman?" Andy asked, as they entered an empty elevator on their way to the car.

Watching him press a button to get the elevator moving, Sharon countered, "What is it with _Mark Hickman_ and her?"

Andy scoffed. "Fair point," he conceded.

They grew quiet as they descended a couple of floors and it was Andy who spoke again, a hum starting his sentence. "Never seen her this rattled though."

"Well, wouldn't you be if it had been you on the stand?" she asked, looking at him.

Andy gave her a bland look. "You know what I mean."

She smiled briefly, her eyes falling on the doors in front of them. "I know," she confirmed gently. "I can relate to some of that though," she added on a shrug.

"A rule coming back to bite you in the ass?" Andy asked sarcastically, smirking at her.

She laughed. "Technically, the rule did not, as you so eloquently put it," she gave him an amused look, "bite us in the ass." He shrugged nonchalantly. "This is simply a rule we really ought to pay more attention to," she added, more seriously.

Andy nodded, just as the elevator doors opened at their destination. "Yeah, we're not double checking our phones for nothing," he mumbled.

"Exactly," she said, walking side by side with him as they made their way to her car. "And while I'm glad she's taking this seriously," she added, "I don't think she should be beating herself up this much over it."

"Like Mike said," Andy offered on a shrug, "we still have a strong case against the guy."

"We do," she agreed. After a brief pause, she added, "It's nice to see all of you having her back though."

Andy gave her a puzzled look. "Why wouldn't we?" he asked.

She met his look with a raised eyebrow. "I know it's not the first time that you do, but," she trailed off on a small shrug.

"Oh, come on," Andy rolled his eyes at her. "If you remember, we weren't your biggest fans back then either," he retorted. On a lighter, more amused note, he added, "And look how well that turned out." He punctuated his words by happily waving a hand between them.

She chuckled. "Who'd have guessed, huh?"

He grinned. "Although, going from an ass kisser to as awful a rule follower as you," Andy mumbled, trailing off with a shake of his head.

"Ha-ha," she said sarcastically, bumping a shoulder against his.

"You think she'll call it a night?" Andy asked, going back to the more somber part of their topic. They had reached the car.

She dropped her keys into his open palm and shrugged. "If I were her, I wouldn't," she said.

Andy groaned. "Poor Sykes, she won't sleep a wink then," he muttered, walking toward the driver's side of the car while Sharon went to the passenger side.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked over the top of her car, waiting for him to unlock the door.

"Rules aren't the only thing you two have in common, Sharon," he told her blandly, unlocking the car.

Sharon opened the door and considered that with a raised eyebrow. "We'll see," she finally said, folding herself into her car seat.

* * *

The second one

"Ah, so the lost sheep returns to its flock!" Provenza announced when Amy entered the murder room.

Sharon and Andy turned around to shoot him a look, Sharon's a slightly admonishing one and Andy's an amused one. Mike, Buzz and Rusty, standing behind him, quietly chuckled.

Amy, however, faltered in her step and awkwardly indicated at the conference room Julio was sitting in, talking into his phone.

"That Mark?" she asked, clearly surprised.

"Yes," Sharon confirmed on a restrained smile.

Amy frowned a little. "What happened?" she asked, a bit of worry in her question.

Provenza waved her off. "Let's just wait and see first," he told her, before quickly changing the subject and adding, "The better question is what happened to you?"

She walked to her desk to sit down, throwing Andy and Sharon, busy clearing the murder board, a glance. "Coop called," she explained, waving a hand in front of her that had her phone in it.

"Ah," Provenza let out. "Phones," he said, meaningfully. "Gotta love the 21st century," he added sarcastically.

"Yeah," Amy said, somewhat resigned, her focus on her phone as she put it down on her desk.

"There's nothing wrong with phones," Sharon said rather strictly, giving Provenza a pointed look, as she dropped a few more photos into the box next to her. Letting Andy go on with their task, she then turned her attention to Amy, giving her second in command a chance to, unseen by her, roll his eyes at her. "We've merely had another lesson in how to properly use them," she told her.

"A lesson that could've led to a mistrial," Amy said quietly, not meeting her Captain's eyes.

"It could've happened to any of us, Amy," Mike piped up, having been following the exchange from behind his desk now. "It's not exactly something we think about," he added on a shrug.

"And besides," Buzz, leaning against Mike's desk, said, "it ended up helping us put _two_ people behind bars."

"Exactly," Sharon said, offering both Buzz and Amy a small smile. "We can now also make sure none of our other cases are compromised," she added, tapping a finger against the edge of the box in front of her.

Amy nodded. "True," she agreed. "A win for everyone in the end, right?" she added, nodding at Sharon again and smiling more confidently now.

"That's right," Sharon confirmed, an amused smile on her lips.

"Captain?" Provenza interrupted and Sharon turned her head to look at the man. "Did you, by any chance, forget to disclose any evidence from your phone?" he asked, the question having all of them, including Rusty, give Sharon an expectant look. Andy went as far as raising an eyebrow at her, clearly enjoying his partner's line of inquiry.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Lieutenant," she said, an almost devious smile playing at her lips as she casually turned to Andy to take the eraser from him to pick up where he had left off with erasing their writings from the board.

Provenza gave her a brief wide-eyed look before leaning forward in his chair and shaking a finger at Amy. "I'm taking that as a yes," he told her conspiratorially.

When Amy actually quietly laughed, he proudly reclined into the back of his chair, clearly satisfied with a mission accomplished.

"Trust me, Amy," Andy said, folding his arms and giving her a reassuring smile, "there are a lot worse ways you can screw up."

Mike laughed and nodded at Amy. "And he," he waved a hand at Provenza, "the Lieutenant, too, would know."

"Hey!" Andy barked, while Provenza shot him an irritated glare.

It didn't help that Buzz and Sharon laughed at the joke, which had Provenza extend his glare at the younger man, while Andy shot Sharon an incredulous look.

"You would," Sharon said, shrugging, completely unfazed by her two oldest Lieutenants' offended reactions.

Amy laughed. More seriously though, she told them, "Thank you, guys."

They all waved off her thanks.

Sharon, however, smiled and gave them all a serious look. "Let's not make a habit of it though," she told them.

Shaking her head, Amy aimed a wide-eyed look at her. "Definitely not," she said.

When the rest of her team, either nodded or shrugged, Sharon said, "Good. Now," she clasped her hands together, "let's finish this up," she waved a hand at the murder board. "And we can call it an early day then."

While they all more or less went back to what little work was still left for them to do, her eyes fell on Julio and Mark in her conference room. Noticing, Andy quietly mumbled, "At least some of us will be able to, huh?"

She only let out a thoughtful, "Mhm," running a hand down the side of his arm before making her way into her office.

* * *

The third one

She heaved a heavy sigh as she sat behind the wheel of her car. It had been a long few days and finally she could head home without worrying about the Bloom case. She put the key in the ignition but did not start the car right away. Instead, her eyes fell on the concrete wall in front of her and she let her mind wander.

Lieutenant Flynn was right. There were worse ways of screwing up, but that did little to help ease her annoyance over the fact that Mark Hickman was the one to have her almost completely screw things up.

The Captain was right, too. It was a mistake that could have happened to any of them. After all even Lieutenant Provenza had to admit he had unintentionally withheld evidence in his reports. However, fact remained, had she not foolishly shared information with Mark Hickman, none of them would have found themselves in this situation in the first place.

She groaned loudly, letting her head hit the backrest of her car seat.

She was played. She had _let_ Mark Hickman play her. Maybe the silver lining in all of this _was_ that her division could now make sure this oversight would not jeopardize any of their other cases, but it felt like a punch in the gut that she had temporarily let her guard down and had inadvertently given ammunition to the defense.

There weren't many cases in which she pushed the boundaries of protocol and even then she had always taken precautions, keeping track of everything, recording her conversations and much more. It was her way of ensuring that even when it looked like she was breaking the rules, she was actually still following them, or at least trying very hard to do so. So, to still end up, albeit unknowingly, withholding evidence gave her usual pride in following rules a rather nasty blow. Disappointing the Captain hurt a little, too, if she was perfectly honest with herself.

She scoffed.

If there was one thing the Captain wasn't, it was disappointed in her. That much was clear. If anything, she had been nothing but patient and supportive of her, something she had not exactly felt she deserved, considering she had let Mark Hickman get to her like this. How the Captain did not have the urge to hit her over the head with a rule book, was beyond her, because honestly, she felt like beating herself up with it _herself_.

A knock on her window startled her, pulling her out of her musings and she gasped and put a hand over her chest as she turned her head to look at the source of the disruption. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was and she rolled her car window down.

"Coop," she said, taking in his smiling face, "what are you doing here? I thought you were still stuck at work."

He shrugged. "I snuck out to see you," he told her, smirking.

She gave him a bland look.

He rolled his eyes and leaned against her open window. "My partner and I were on our way to the car to pick up a CI when I saw you staring into space here," he finally said truthfully. "You okay?"

Is she okay? Isn't that the million dollar question?

Back when she first ran into Hickman after that fateful morning jog of hers, she had told Cooper about it and he had said to take anything he says with a grain of salt. She had taken offense at his insinuation that she would do anything else, but had later realized he was merely trying to look out for her. And when it suddenly blew up in her face in court, a few months later, he had not told her "I told you so," but she felt like maybe she deserved someone telling her that anyway.

They had argued a bit lately and she had to admit it was mostly because she was rather hell bent on dealing with this whole debacle on her own. She felt a bit guilty for taking her frustrations out on him by shutting him out when all he really wanted to do was help in any way he could, but it was hard to feel guilty about it at the moment when she was still rather upset about the case. Whether she felt guilty about it or not though, this was not the first time he had asked her if she was okay in the past few days, despite the slightly more strained situation they had found themselves in. And because of her mostly.

Okay, maybe she was starting to feel a little guilty about it all.

"Amy?" Cooper snapped his fingers in front of her face, cutting through her thoughts.

She refocused on him.

"Do you want me to call it a day?" Cooper asked when she didn't answer his question. He sounded worried. "I can have someone else pick up the guy if you want."

She suddenly felt rather irritated, her earlier awakening guilt getting pushed to the back of her mind again. "Why is everyone being so," she threw her hands up, "supportive of me?" she asked.

He drew back and frowned. "What?" he sounded genuinely puzzled.

"I shared case information with Mark Hickman and it nearly got our case thrown out, and everyone's just saying," she rolled her eyes, "'Don't worry about it, Amy, it could have happened to any of us.'"

He relaxed and leaned into the window again. "Amy," he said calmly, "you talking to that idiot isn't the issue here. You were careful around him, weren't you?"

"You sound like my Captain," she said angrily. " _Because_ I talked to him I was taken apart on the stand!" She pinned him with a hard glare. "Tell me then, how is that _not_ the issue here, huh?"

"Because," he said calmly, and she rolled her eyes at his tone of voice, the fact that he could be all so stoic about it annoying her in and of itself, "you would have withheld that evidence whether you talked to him or not."

She frowned. "No, I wouldn't have," she argued, now really getting agitated as indicated by the way she defensively folded her arms across her chest.

A loud whistle came from the opposite side of the garage and Cooper looked behind and raised a finger at whoever the whistle came for, clearly asking for a moment longer then turned his attention to Amy again. "You had no clue you even had to disclose that stuff from your phone, Amy," he told her gently. "You would have withheld it," he reiterated, "not on purpose, but you would have."

She sighed and deflated somewhat. "You're right." Her not talking to Hickman would not have changed the fact that she had not disclosed particular information to the defense and, seeing as she was not the only one caught in that oversight, maybe she should get over herself and be happy that they could now make sure something like this did not happen again.

He chuckled. "Of course I am," he told her smugly. At her unimpressed look, he changed topics a bit, "Look, you want me to join this pity party of yours? Like I said, someb-"

"No, no," she shook her head at him, although she smiled a little at his choice of words. She really was having a pity party, wasn't she? "Go back to work," she told him.

He considered her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

Before he could straighten up again, she said, "Coop?" He stopped mid-movement to look at her and she went on. "Thanks, and," she rolled her eyes at herself this time, "sorry about," she trailed off, not knowing how to settle on just one thing to apologize for. For shutting him out? For ignoring him while she worked the case? For all but spoiling for a fight a few moments ago?

He laughed and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't worry about it," he told her. "I'm used to your stubborn ways, Detective Sykes."

She laughed too. "Make it up to you with dinner?" she offered.

He smiled. "Sound like a plan," he told her.

When she nodded, he started to walk over to his car. "I'll text you when I'm done," he threw over his shoulder.

"Okay," she said, finally starting her car to head home.

* * *

 _ **Btw, I'll be posting one more set of add-ons for this episode. :)**_


	22. 5x16c

**_Not sure what to make of Andy's comment about Commander Mason. Maybe it's just him being a bit insecure rather than actually jealous or he's being protective of Sharon and doesn't want anyone to jeopardize her (as he thinks) amazing promotion opportunity. In any case, I took this as a chance to explore that a bit. Plus, I really long for a more open Shandy conversation on the topic of Assistant Chief and I'd also love to hear the team discuss it, since the decision will obviously affect them all._**

 ** _So here's my take on all of those things. The first one is set in the flashback timeline of the episode, whereas the second one is in the present timeline after they talk to Paul Bloom. I think, based on what little we know so far, this doesn't really stray from canon and something along these lines could have happened._**

* * *

The first one

"So you've made a friend today," Andy said around a mouthful of dinner they were in the middle of.

"A friend?" Sharon asked, her focus on the plate in front of her. "Who?" she added, looking at him in confusion.

"Commander Mason," Andy replied.

"Oh, I wouldn't call him a friend," Sharon said, laughing lightly. She tilted her head, contemplating something. "An ally perhaps," she offered, bringing a bite carefully to her mouth.

Andy took a sip of his water. "Ally?" he asked in disbelief. "He's after the same job you are, Sharon," he added, a bit heatedly.

"I didn't know I was after a new job," Sharon said blandly, although there was a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Andy rolled his eyes at her. "Fine," he muttered. "He's _considered_ for the same job as you are," he corrected, taking his annoyance out on the last piece of vegetable on his plate.

"That he is," Sharon confirmed, letting her smile spill over her face. She put her fork and knife down, having finished her food and gave Andy her full attention before saying, "And just like me, he's happy where he is right now."

Andy's eyebrows went up. "So he won't fight you for the job?" he asked.

She hummed. "No, I don't think he'll fight _me_ for the job," she said at a deliberate pace, wanting him to catch onto her real meaning on his own.

And of course, he instantly did and grinned. "So he hates Winnie Davis, too, huh?" He nodded, clearly impressed with the fact.

"He's certainly as concerned about his division as I am about mine," Sharon said in response, shrugging.

"Mhm," Andy said, dropping his own cutlery now. "And what do you think of him?" he asked, looking up at her. "I mean, criminal intelligence division," he trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," she dragged the word out, "he's not Commander on paper only," she told him over a meaningful look.

"You think he'd be a good fit?" Andy asked, surprised slightly.

"At this point," she let out a bitter laugh, "I think anyone'd be a better fit than Winnie Davis."

Andy chuckled. "About time you admitted that," he mumbled teasingly.

Sharon rolled her eyes and slapped his arm in playful admonishment, but he only smirked at her, enjoying the good mood she seemed to be in despite him, again, bringing up a topic she so far wasn't as keen on discussing as he was. "He offered me a deal actually," she informed him, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"You do love deals," Andy said, almost singsonging those last two words.

"Funny," Sharon said humorlessly, although her voice thinned slightly, "Commander Mason said the same thing."

Andy laughed at her. "So what kind of deal?" he asked.

"It's obvious that if we want to prevent Davis from wreaking havoc over LAPD's divisions," she started, tilting her head to the side.

"Which we do," Andy interjected, raising an eyebrow at her.

"One of us," she gave him a pointed look, not amused by his smart interruption, "will have to take the position instead of her."

"Well, that's not news," he said, shaking his head at her and frowning. "Since I'm sure Howard's out of the running and I don't trust this Mason guy, that leaves you. What kind of deal could he have possibly offered you then?"

"Well, he told me, in no uncertain terms," she replied, "that, should either one of us end up with the job, we'd use the position to protect our former and respective divisions."

"Huh," Andy let out, impressed, rubbing a hand over his chin as he considered that for a moment. "So does that mean he'll fight for the job?"

When she shrugged, he added, "Does that mean _you_ will fight for the job?"

She sighed. "I think it means we'll both fight for what's best for our divisions."

Andy sighed, too. "Okay, so you'll at least fight Winnie on it?" he asked.

She pursed her lips and took a moment to answer. "I like heading Major Crimes, Andy," she finally said, and quickly, before he could interject again because she had told him so a hundred times by now, added, "You know I'm not gunning for a promotion anymore so I'll fight to stay where I am, but if protecting our squad means fighting her, too, then I don't really have any other choice, now do I?" She ended her sentence on a small exasperated sigh.

He narrowed his eyes at her for a split second, then said, "You're gonna support Mason, aren't you?" Although it was a question, his words sounded more like an accusation.

Her eyes widened in surprise. She shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I'm considering it," she admitted. "Maybe," she added on an undecided shrug. "We've crossed paths only a handful of times, Andy, and I think I should probably get to know him a little better before pledging my allegiance to him."

Andy scoffed. "Get to know a guy whose sole job is making things _un_ known to people?" he asked sarcastically.

She laughed. "Whatever his area of expertise, Andy, so far he seems to be easier to work with than Winnie Davis," she told him.

" _Seems to be_ being the operative words," he said, getting to his feet to start clearing the table.

She stood up to help. "Well, he's at least being professional," she said, relieved. "I wasn't sure I could count on that after," she paused, rolling her eyes, "you know..."

"After what?" he asked, his voice raising in pitch slightly. He frowned. "He ever done something that was unprofessional?" There was a hint of a threat to the tone of his voice now. He even bristled as if already he was ready for a fight.

Sharon gave him an amused look and walked, their glasses in hand, into the kitchen. "After Winnie Davis, Andy," she said pointedly. "Remember her drawing some boyfriend of mine into this mess?" she added jokingly, already busy putting the glasses into the dishwasher.

"Oh," he let out, deflating instantly and following her with their plates, "that kind of professional." He shook his head. "I thought you were," he started, but then cut himself off with a shake of his head. "Never mind," he said lamely, moving past her toward the sink to rinse their plates.

"You thought I was what?" Sharon asked, siding next to him and wrapping an arm around his waist as he went about his task, and leaning forward to look up at him.

"Nothing," he waved her off, turning around to dispose of the plates in the dishwasher and getting out of her half-embrace in the process, too.

She chuckled, realizing where his thoughts had taken him, and walked back to their dining table. "Unprofessional," she just said, the word full of both teasing and disbelief.

She laughed when she heard him forcefully close the dishwasher and sarcastically saying, "Ha-ha."

She smirked and carried their leftovers to the fridge, letting him glare at her from where he had leaned against a kitchen counter. She met his glare when she closed the fridge again and took a few steps toward him.

"You're cute when you're jealous," she told him, suppressing a laugh.

He rolled not only his eyes but his neck as well as his gaze briefly found the ceiling. "I'm not jealous," he argued on an irritated grumble. "I just want this stupid chief business to be over and done with."

She let out a hum of further disbelief and pecked him on the lips.

"And I'm not cute," he muttered over a dark look.

She snorted. "Fine," she relented. When he grunted, she added, "Now, are you just going to brood here or will you help me finish this so that we can actually enjoy our evening home alone?"

"Wait," Andy said, surprised. "Rusty's not coming home tonight?" he asked.

"Didn't I tell you?" she asked in response. "He texted me before dinner," she added.

He gave her a wide-eyed look. "No, you didn't," he said, shaking his head.

She chuckled. "Well, now you know," she told him, shrugging and turning around with the intention of clearing the table of the last traces of their dinner.

"Uh, no, no," he said, reaching a hand out to grab her forearm. When she stopped and raised an eyebrow at him, he tugged on it to propel her toward him. "That," he tilted his head toward the dining table, "can wait, my dear."

"Is that so?" she challenged, standing now in front of him, one of her hands finding its place on his loosened tie.

"Yeah," he said gruffly before catching her lips with his.

* * *

The second one

"Thank you, Commander," he heard Sharon say as she and Commander Mason walked toward her office.

Andy was sitting on his desk chair, watching the duo approach with a frown he didn't even realize he was sporting.

"Seeing you guys in action, Captain," Mason said, "is thanks enough, I think."

Sharon smiled and nodded, brushing a hand against Andy's shoulder absentmindedly as she led the Commander into her office.

When the door behind them closed, Andy sighed and made his way into the break room. He was gulping down his glass of water when Provenza walked in.

"Aren't you supposed to keep Hobbs company while she goes over that deal with Bloom?" Andy asked him.

Provenza waved him off. "Julio took my place," he said, walking past his partner in search for a cup of coffee. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Andy shrugged and pointed out the glass of water in his hand.

Provenza took note of it and returned his focus on his coffee.

"So what do you think of this Mason guy?" Andy asked.

Provenza shrugged. "Eh, he can be useful, I guess," he said.

Andy perked up at his disinterested demeanor. "So you don't like him either?" he said, sounding hopeful.

Provenza looked at him, furrowing a brow. "He ranks higher in my book than Winnie Davis, I'll tell you that," he told him. Narrowing his eyes at Andy, he added, "What do you have against him?"

Andy put his glass away and started nonchalantly walking toward the door. "Nothing, he's just annoying, if you ask me," he mumbled on his way.

Quickly dropping the spoon he was stirring his coffee with, Provenza went after him, a smirk on his face. "You're not jealous, are you, Flynn?" he asked.

"What?" Andy's voice went suspiciously high. He rolled his eyes and opened the door to walk out of the break room. "I'm not jealous," he said, his voice down to a more regular note, "it's just that," he waved his hands through the air, "Sharon's the best for the job, and you all act like," he shrugged, "I don't know what," he ended lamely.

"What are you talking about?" Provenza said. "The guy actually helped with the case, what did you expect us to do? Kick him in the nuts?" he asked.

Andy sighed. "Well, everyone's talking about how he's smart, good at his job, young, energetic," he listed off, rolling his eyes again. "Might as well be running his campaign the lot of you."

They reached the murder room and Provenza was about to walk to his desk, but put it off for a moment to give Andy an exasperated look. "I don't know _what_ you're talking about, Flynn," he told him, "but," he waved a hand at him, having come to a stop as well to look back at him, "not jealous my ass," he added, finally going to his desk.

"Wh-", Andy stopped mid-word, looking incredulously around himself, "I'm not jealous!" he hissed, stomping back to his desk and flopping into his chair.

"Mhm," Provenza singsonged, enjoying a sip of his coffee.

"Oh, shut it," Andy muttered.

"Ye Gods, Flynn, calm down," Provenza, suddenly rather irritated, said. "Or you'll give yourself another heart attack."

Andy shot him an angry look, but his retort never came because Amy and Mike chose that exact moment to walk out of the electronics room and join them.

Noticing the obvious tension, Mike threw Provenza a curious look, but he just rolled his eyes and said, "Flynn over here," he hooked a thumb in Andy's direction, who shot him an irritated glare, "thinks we're campaigning for Mason to become Assistant Chief."

"Huh?" Mike frowned a little taking a seat behind his desk, Amy doing the same behind hers. "Honestly," he started, clearly not looking for any more details about Provenza's and Andy's little squabble, "I'd just like to still have a job once all of this is settled," he told them on a shrug.

Provenza gave him a firm nod of his head. "As do all of us, Tao," he said.

"The Captain still doesn't want the position?" Amy asked, turning her chair around and directing the question at Andy.

He sighed, throwing a glance into Sharon's office. Mason was in the middle of saying something. "I don't know," he admitted. "She doesn't like Davis, I can tell you that," he told her. "But other than that," he frowned, "she's being all," he trailed off, frustrated, his hand drawing a circle in the air.

"Captain-like?" Amy tried.

He chuckled. "Yeah, something like that."

"She'll fight for us," Mike suddenly said, rather confidently. When three heads shot him a surprised look, he shrugged. "She won't feed us to the likes of Winnie Davis," he clarified, the look he offered in return almost daring them to voice expecting anything else.

Andy smiled and, like Amy, somberly nodded in agreement.

Provenza however, spoke. "Well, we all know _that_ ," he gave Mike an exasperated look for pointing out the obvious, "I just hope she doesn't join the fight once it's too late," he said, his eyes finding his Captain's form behind her office desk.

Amy offered a more optimistic view. "I think she's already joined it, Lieutenant," she said, her eyes on Sharon's office. "I mean," she turned to look at Provenza, "just take a look at this," she added, waving a hand at the murder board their current case was still prominently featured on.

Andy gave the board a thoughtful look. "She _has_ been looking out for our sorry asses for years now, hasn't she?" he mumbled.

It drew a bit of a laugh out of all of them.

"Don't worry about it, Andy," Mike told him. "None of us, I think," he said, giving Amy and Provenza a quick look, "plan on turning our backs on her either." He smirked. "Even if we like Commander Mason."

Amy nodded enthusiastically. "Plus, we like the Captain more," she chipped in.

Mike confirmed her words with a shrug and Provenza rolled his eyes at her, while Andy turned in his chair and sighed, noting that Mason was heading for the door.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered, ending their little discussion as the Commander stepped out of Sharon's office.

* * *

 ** _Okay, I've not included the entire team, I know, but if I was to keep this at all plausible and have it fit the episode, I had to make a few compromises, I guess._**


	23. 5x17a

_**Oh, I loved this episode. Morales. His dad. His dad and Provenza. Julio and Mark. Provenza and Julio. Wes and his pot expertise. Andy. Andy and Rusty. Andy and Sharon. Yup, loved pretty much everything about it. Didn't mind Rusty at all because for once he wasn't ruining Shandy moments. haha**_

 _ **The only thing that bugged me was that godawful fade-to-black end. URGH. CAN'T WE JUST ONCE HAVE A WHOLE SHANDY MOMENT?!**_

 _ **Anyways, I'll post at least two chapters of add-ons for this episode and for starters, here's a bit of Proflynnza, because I kind of miss that combo. Haven't had many scenes with the duo since the season picked up. The "Ah, and good luck to you, too." moment in this ep just wasn't enough for me. XD**_

 _ **The first scene takes place after Rusty's text to Andy, before he heads home. And the second scene is when Sharon and Andy arrive back at work after that little pot-op.**_

* * *

"Flynn!" Provenza hissed.

"What?" Andy asked, his partner's mere tone of voice enough to irritate me.

In response, Provenza just grabbed ahold of his arm and pulled him with him on the way to the break room.

"I was trying to go home!" Andy complained, his voice raising in pitch slightly, but he made no move to fight his partner's pull.

Once inside the empty break room with the door safely closed, Andy gave him an expectant look.

"What the hell is up with you?" Provenza asked, irritated as he waved a hand at him.

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "Up with me?" he asked, incredulous. He pointed a hand at him. "You're the one who just manhandled me in here!"

Provenza just folded his arms and pinned him with a narrow-eyed look. "You've been acting strange for days," he said simply. "I mean," he rolled his eyes, "you always act like an idiot, but this," he unfolded his arms to wave his hands at him in exasperation, dropping the sentence. "Something's definitely up," he concluded with a firm nod of his head.

"Look," Andy aimed for a placating tone, "Sharon and I have dinner reservations for the night, and I just wanted to get a head start on things," he explained, hoping that would be enough to get Provenza off his back.

"Oh, alright," Provenza said, shrugging and deflating. Andy was just about to breathe a small sigh of relief when his partner suddenly frowned at him and said, "Wait, what's with the giddy grins then? It's not your first dinner." He shook his head. "I mean you always smile like an idiot around the Captain," he rolled his eyes, "but even she's a bit weirded out by you now."

That had Andy frown, too. "She's not weirde-" he started saying in an annoyed, high voice, then abruptly cut himself off with a violent shake of his head. He looked around the room, looking almost paranoid. "Oh, God, you don't think she suspects anything?" he asked in a low, panicked voice.

"Suspects anything?" Provenza repeated, incredulous, throwing his arms out. "Flynn, what are you talk-" he stopped mid-sentence and judging by the way his eyebrows shot up, he finally figured it out.

Andy's eyes grew wide. "God," he groaned, "please don't tell her. I'm trying to surprise her and," he sighed, "you know she's not big on surpri-"

Provenza smacking him over the side of his upper arm interrupted him. "You're planning to propose to the Captain," he started, agitated, "I mean," he gave the ceiling an exasperated look, "Sharon," he hit him again, "and you didn't think about telling me?"

Andy drew back, a hand rubbing his arm. "What?" he said in a high-pitched voice. "Why would I tell you?" He waved the hand at him. "I'm not proposing to you!"

Provenza seemed to take great offense in Andy's answer and re-folded his arms over his chest, defensively this time. "Well, I told you about Patrice," he said as if that was explanation enough.

Andy gave him a bland look. "And how'd that turn out?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, I'm not an idiot who'd go blab it out to her!" Provenza muttered over an equally bland look. After giving him an angry glare, he added, "Unlike somebody else I know!"

Andy rubbed his hands over his face. "Well, now you know," he said, looking at Provenza again. "I wanna ask Sharon to marry me and since she's still stuck at work, I'm heading home earlier to-"

"Get the ring?" Provenza interjected.

Andy grinned. "No," he shook his head, patting his suit jacket pocket. Ignoring Provenza's shocked look, he added, "She's stuck here for another hour, I better change," he looked down his clothes, "so I'm ready for when she gets home." He shrugged. "She won't want to go to dinner in her work clothes, and if we wanna make the reservation," he tilted his head as if to say, "Well, you know, women and getting ready."

Provenza's eyes, however, were still on Andy's pocket. Finding his ability to speak again, he finally said, a hint of mischief in his tone, "What if she says no?"

Taken aback, missing the teasing note in his partner's voice, Andy said, the words escaping him on the verge of a high-pitched yell, "Why would she say no?" He smiled suddenly even though he went on talking in a rather agitated manner, "I love her, she loves me, we live together already… She's not gonna say no!"

Provenza's face broke out into a smile and he turned around to head out of the break room. "Well, I'll be damned," he mumbled. "Flynn wanting to get hitched with Raydor," he said in amusement, opening the door and starting to walk out.

Andy followed, shooting an exasperated glare at the back of Provenza's head. "Oh, shut up, you know she's a catch," he muttered, although he was also smiling slightly at the fact.

Provenza barked a sarcastic laugh. "She's gonna love hearing that," he said. "A catch," he added, laughing again.

Andy rolled his eyes, admitting it was probably not the best choice of words, and willed himself to not get further riled up by Provenza yanking his chain. Successful in the attempt, he just said, "Anyway, I'm heading home."

They were about to part ways, when Provenza called out, "Hey, Flynn!"

He turned around, eyebrow raised. "Huh?" he asked, unimpressed as he waited for another smart-ass comment.

Provenza said nothing in response. Instead he gave him a long look and punctuated it with a proud nod of his head before heading back into the murder room.

Andy watched him go, a crooked, satisfied smile forming on his lips.

"Go get her," that look had said.

…

Sharon walked straight to her office upon arrival, Hobbs was in there expecting her. Still waiting for Mike, Julio, Amy and Wes to get back with their suspects, Provenza caught Andy's eye and tilted his head toward his desk where he was sitting at, inviting him to join him.

When he reached his desk, in greeting, knowing what was on his partner's mind, Andy mumbled, "This is the second time my plans fell through." He sighed. "At this rate I'll never get rid of this," he added in a whisper, opening the left side of his jacket, in whose pocket the ring box was in.

Provenza gave him a puzzled look. "Second?"

Andy sighed again and, after making sure Sharon's office was closed (even the blinds were closed actually), told him about the failed Napa surprise.

Provenza shrugged. "Maybe third time's the charm?" he offered lamely.

Andy scoffed. "Yeah," he let out on a wistful note. "We'll see, I'm relying on Rusty now," he added matter-of-factly.

Provenza bristled at the words. "You told Rusty but not me?" he asked, offended.

Andy just rolled his eyes. "After Sharon got home and it was obvious tonight's not happening," he started, clearly annoyed by the fact, "he figured out something was going on and," he shrugged, "I couldn't just lie to the kid."

Provenza laughed. "What did our lawyer-to-be have to say about it?" he asked.

Andy chuckled. "Well, actually, he's helping me out with my third try," he explained, a hint of awe in the words. "No idea if he'll pull it off, but," he shrugged as if to add, "at this point, I'm ready to believe in anything."

"Huh," Provenza said, but before more could be said, Mike and Amy walked into the murder room.

Julio and Wes, their suspects cuffed next to them, followed right after them.

Already on his way to her office, wanting to make sure Provenza did not accidentally let the team in on his little plan as well, Andy said, "I'll go get Hobbs and Sharon then."

* * *

 _ **Since I've decided to trust Mary McDonnell's engagement tweet, the next add-on will probably be me lifting that stupid black screen at the end of the episode! :D**_

 _ **Btw, what do you say on the scenes above? ^^**_


	24. 5x17b

_**I'm just taking Mary's tweet at face value and have decided to believe that a Shandy engagement will simply be fact in ep 18.**_

 _ **So, at the risk of this becoming completely AU in a few days, I've gone ahead and expanded that final scene a little (or a lot).**_

 _ **It's nothing elaborate, mind you, but I hope you enjoy it. :)**_

* * *

Although the first hint was probably the sight that greeted her upon entering the condo, she realized something was coming only at the mention of Serve. And she suspected _what_ was coming the moment an "Um," started his sentence.

But the full reality of it only truly registered with her when he said that living together could be 'only the beginning'.

Beginnings. She has had a few of those over the past five years, hasn't she? Under any other circumstances, she might have laughed at the idea of another beginning. At her age at that. Not in this circumstance though.

In this circumstance, not exactly knowing what to do with herself, she simply watched him close the sliding door, bracing herself for what was to inevitably come. A wave of nervousness washed over her. It was a feeling she had not experienced in a long while. Least of all around him. But the feeling was undeniably there, for this really was happening, and he had managed to, like so many times before, catch her completely unprepared.

When he dropped to his knee and pulled out a red box, opening it, her mind turned into a swirling mess of thoughts as the dots in her head suddenly started connecting.

The giddy, almost jittery air surrounding him the past few days. His bigger than usual disappointment when they had to cancel dinner. The random grins shot her way at work when she least expected them. And based on what happened a few seconds ago, her youngest son had a hand in all this as well.

Andy was nervous, too, apparently.

Although, maybe it wasn't nervousness.

For either one of them. And she wasn't _completely_ unprepared for this. She had already entertained this idea. At length. He had, too, she knew, even if to each other they mentioned this in passing only. How could they not entertain it, though? They were living together already, so, of course, _forever_ was the endgame for them, or, as Andy put it, another beginning for them. But, like every other time in their relationship thus far, he had reached this conclusion before her. Not because she was any less invested in this, in _them_ , far from it. Of the two, she was simply the more analytical one. And that, unfortunately often meant Andy had to wait for her to, rationally, catch up with him.

However, it would seem that this particular wait was now over.

And, suddenly, she realized she wasn't really nervous. Nor was Andy.

The wait was over and she did not mind it. Not one bit.

Instead, she was starting to feel excited.

A strangled, little sound escaped her. Was it a squeal, a giggle, a hum, a moan, or maybe even a yelp? There was no time to identify it, for at the same time Andy's concerned sounding, "Sharon?" reached her ears, and more importantly, her brain.

She promptly snapped her mouth shut, having no recollection of her jaw even dropping this far down in the first place. Had she perhaps tried saying something? She had no idea. All she knew was that Andy had asked her to marry her and she had missed it. Had he given her an entire speech? She had no idea. Lost in her own private musings, when it counted most to hear him out, she had heard absolutely nothing.

Coming to her senses, she cleared her mind, her focus finally landing solely on the man kneeling in front of her.

"Again," she managed to choke out.

Andy frowned slightly, a flash of puzzlement or hurt crossing his features. Both probably.

"Again?" he croaked.

At the uncharacteristically insecure sound of his voice she let out a soft flustered laugh. "Oh, gosh, Andy," she shook her head, a hand finding its way to cover her mouth. "Please, ask me again," she clarified, reaching out to touch his shoulder, wanting to reassure him, to silently tell him her request was not a bad sign.

Now obviously even more puzzled, Andy's eyes dropped onto the little box still in his left hand. He shifted on his knee a bit and cleared his throat before meeting her gaze and speaking again.

"Sharon Raydor," he took a breath, "will you marry me?" he asked, a hopeful smile playing at the corners of his lips, despite her initial reaction, or lack of it.

This time, however, she paid attention _and_ reacted.

"Yes," she breathed out, her hands flopping against her sides as she gave the heavens a quick, incredulous look. "Yes, Andy," she said, more loudly, looking at him and dropping to her own knees, her hands wrapping around his forearms to squeeze them excitedly.

Once at eye level, a silly, giddy grin spread over his face. "Yeah?" he asked, his mouth staying open once the word was out.

She smiled brightly. "Yeah," she confirmed in imitation of him, then wrapped her hands around his neck to kiss him in further confirmation.

"Gee, Sharon, what was that about?" Andy mumbled, when they pulled apart, for air mostly. "Way to turn a guy into a nervous wreck." He shook his head, grinning again. "Nearly had another heart attack," he added.

And for the first time ever, she actually laughed at one of his stupid heart attack related jokes. A long, soft, carefree laugh.

"Sorry," she said, sobering somewhat. "Oh," she let out on a giddy sigh, looking around. "I just did _not_ see this coming," she said, pecking him on the lips once more. Honestly, she didn't know whether to be worried or impressed by his feat.

He chuckled. "Got one over you, huh?" he said smugly and, as she started laughing again, he reached out for her hand. "So how about we get this sucker on your finger then?" he asked, tilting his head at the ring.

She laughed some more, but finally actually seeing the ring he offered her, sobered again. Simple, elegant. She might as well have picked it out herself, it fit her taste that perfectly.

"Yes," she wiggled her fingers, "by all means, go ahead, please," she urged him on eagerly.

Andy was only too happy to oblige. But once the ring was on her finger and the box was somewhere on the balcony floor forgotten, he made no move to stand up. Instead, he gently cradled her face between his palms.

"I love you so much, Sharon," he told her thickly. On an overwhelmed groan, he added, "You have no idea just _how much_."

She flashed him another bright smile. "Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," she said confidently, a hand covering one of his as she leaned into it.

"Yeah?" he asked gruffly, inching his face closer to hers.

"I love you just as much, Andy," she told him, closing the distance, despite his hold, to kiss him again.

When they broke apart, he grunted as he finally started getting to his feet, extending his hand to help her up as well. "I did not plan on kneeling this long, you know," he complained in a low grumble.

"Sorry," she said on a guilty shrug, standing up. She looked at herself and brushed her knees off. "I have to say though, I'm glad I was wearing pants for this," she added, nearly giggling now.

Andy scoffed. "Speak for yourself," he muttered, eyeing her legs purposefully.

She laughed, throwing a raised eyebrow his way. "I was," she quipped.

On a happy chuckle, he tugged on her hand and turned her toward the table.

"Now," he lifted the cloche over her plate with a flourish, "what do you say to dinner?" he asked.

She smirked, eyebrow raised. "At Serve?" she inquired, her heart melting a little once her eyes landed on her favorite dish.

He shrugged, an eyebrow raised as well. "Well, people say it's one of the most romantic places in Los Angeles."

She hummed, quietly taking in the display before her. She absentmindedly swayed her hand that was tangled with his between their sides. They may not have been at the restaurant that really was as romantic as promised, but right now, she couldn't imagine a more romantic place to be in than her very own balcony. _Their_ very own balcony, she corrected herself.

"So?" Andy said, cutting through the fog of her thoughts.

Letting go of his hand, she wrapped her arms around his waist, her cheek nestling in a spot between his shoulder and chest. It did not bother her that her glasses went askew with the movement.

"Fine," she said, the word followed by a blissful hum.

He laughed and squeezed her into his side to drop a kiss into her hair. When she made no attempt to step out of the embrace, he warned, "It's gonna get cold."

"Yeah," she agreed on a long sigh, but stayed put, indulging in a few more moments of their closeness before finally, reluctantly, letting go of him and letting him help her into her chair. She readjusted her glasses in the process, too.

"You know," Sharon started, once Andy was seated, too, his suit jacket now draped over the back of his chair, "I did not expect this."

"The proposal?" Andy asked, then smirked without waiting for confirmation. "That was kind of the point, Sharon."

She pursed her lips and gave him a look. "I mean this," she waved her empty fork around them. "It's so," she paused, her focus on her plate for a moment before she met his expectant look again, "me." She finished the thought on a slightly surprised note.

Around a mouthful of food, he said, amused, "I thought this was all Andy Flynn?"

Despite herself, she laughed at him and his cocky demeanor. "Well, I expected something, uh, less subtle," she said. "Something louder," she added on a shrug as she scooped some food onto her fork.

"Something more obvious?" Andy suggested.

She offered a happy shrug. "Well, subtlety never was one your strong suits, Andy."

"Yeah," he nodded, a bit guiltily. "Well," he dragged the word out as he drew his shoulders together, "I actually had other ideas initially," he admitted.

"Ah," she perked up at that. "Such as?" she prodded.

"Dinner at Serve instead of here," he said instantly, and she gave him a sympathetic look, knowing exactly how that plan fell through. "A trip to Napa," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"A," she paused to swallow, then made another attempt to speak. "A trip?" she asked. When he nodded, she added, "When?"

Andy made a face. "That day two idiots decided to drop a guy out of a helicopter," he muttered, taking his lingering irritation about it out on a piece of his food by forcefully stabbing his fork into it.

She chuckled at him. This explained his impatience in the morgue after the body was retrieved.

"But," he looked at her, "it doesn't matter." He waved a hand at her and added, "Rusty said you wouldn't have liked that anyway, so maybe I should be thanking those idiots."

She frowned slightly. "Why wouldn't I like that?" she asked, puzzled. Taking a vacation sounded rather tempting, now that she thought about it.

Andy rolled his eyes. "You don't like getting whisked away," he said. "And we both know it's true," he added, the look on his face warning her not to try arguing the point.

She gave him a small shrug. "Well, maybe I wouldn't mind getting whisked away by you," she told him, a coy, little smile playing at her lips.

His eyes widened. "Really?"

Her smile widened. "Yes, really."

"Huh," he let out, leaning into the back of his chair, his food temporarily forgotten. "I'll keep that in mind then," he said after a few moments of silence.

She laughed. "Whisk away, Andy."

He laughed a little, too, finally returning to his food. "But, you know," he started on a more serious note, "you're right, if I had it my way, this would have been a much louder affair," he told her.

She hummed as she considered her response. "So you asked Rusty for help?" It wasn't really a question.

He nodded. "I did enlist his help with my first two tries, but I only spilled the beans about the ring when dinner failed."

She tilted her head, smiling. Andy and Rusty had come such a long way. It made her heart swell up even more with contentment. "I'm surprised you had to spill your beans at all," she told him, holding back a chuckle. "You _were_ acting rather strangely these past few days."

" _You_ , my dear, didn't figure it out on your own either," Andy argued, pointing a food-laden fork at her.

"I didn't ask either, now did I?" she countered over a raised eyebrow. If Rusty thought something was off, she was certain he would have asked what was going on. Actually, had it not been for their busy case, by now _she_ would have asked as well.

Andy's begrudging grunt confirmed Rusty had indeed asked. "In all fairness though," he said, his voice taking on a slightly defensive note, "you'd be acting weird, too, if you were sitting on that for days on end," he gestured at her ring with a nod of his head, "with your plans getting spoiled all the time." He raised his voice over the next words, "I swear, it felt like the damn thing weighed a ton!"

A throaty laugh escaped her. "I happen to like this damn thing," she said, feigning offense, her thumb finding the finger her brand new engagement ring was on to turn it around.

Calm again, he flashed her a smile. "Good," he said, taking a sip of his water. "You said yes," he then suddenly added, a trace of both relief and disbelief in the words.

Her face lit up. "I did."

With that they just stared at each other for a moment, basking in this new reality. He was sporting that grin she had seen so many times over the past few days and, knowing the real reason behind it now, she could only love it even more than she already did, and what was more, she couldn't help but return it with a grin of her own.

Breaking the connection at long last, they fell into comfortable silence to focus on simply eating. They had a long day and were both rather hungry.

"This _is_ all Andy Flynn," Sharon said after a few bites.

Andy lifted an eyebrow in question.

She raised an eyebrow of her own. "Only Andy Flynn makes me like surprises."

The words weren't _exactly_ true. She still generally did not like surprises. She was wary of them because, more often that not, they were bad ones. In the past two decades of her life, she could expect good ones only from her children, and even they sometimes, usually unintentionally, threw an opposite one her way. Any other lovely surprises were few and far between. However, with Andy, she was yet to stumble across a bad one. And taking into account what she only just said yes to, she clearly felt confident she never would either. His unfortunate health scares, of course, did not count.

The look Andy gave her,let her know he read into these private musings of hers, but he smiled genuinely and appreciatively anyway. He knew what she was trying to say. "Well, that's good, 'cause I like surprising you," he finally replied.

With that, they focused on eating again.

"I know you're not one for big displays or grand gestures," Andy said after a while, just as she was sipping on her water, "but if you'd let me," he paused and his brow furrowed briefly, "or Rusty for that matter," that realization seemed to have surprised him, "I'd be shouting this from the rooftops."

She grinned and reached out to briefly touch his unoccupied hand. "I know you would," she told him.

He gave her a hopeful look. "So," there was suddenly an air of mischief about him, "if I were to say," he paused for effect, "shout it right now…" He tilted his head to his left, past the railing of the balcony and in the direction of the city that stretched next to them.

"No, no, no," she quickly interjected, laughing even though part of her worried that he just might try doing exactly that.

He faux pouted, gaze dropping to his plate. "Buzzkill," he muttered.

Unexpectedly, a snort left her and she was glad she was not in the middle of chewing or else it would have led to a much too ungraceful sight for a night like this. "Now that you mention Buzz," she said pointedly, trying to collect herself. Once she did, she went on, ignoring the smirk on his face, "Anyone at work know about this?"

"Just Provenza," he said, rolling his eyes.

She suspected there was a story behind his reaction, but the answer did not surprise her otherwise. Deciding that she could pry into that later, in response she only nodded.

"Wished me good luck, actually," Andy added matter-of-factly.

"Mhm," she hummed absentmindedly.

It still amazed her at times how far she and Provenza had come, that she could count him among supportive friends, whether he himself would ever admit it or not. Or how far she and Andy had come, for that matter. He had managed to become an integral part of her life long before they ever started dating, and, although it was still beyond her how exactly it all came to be, she considered it almost as big a miracle as Rusty was. And, although she did so in distinctly different ways, she cherished both of them equally.

She certainly had not expected to see herself here after five years of heading Major Crimes but, now, she wouldn't want to have it any other way. And to think of all the things that threatened this outcome...

"Earth to Sharon," Andy's voice snapped her out of her musings.

"Sorry," she said, blinking a few times once she realized tears have entered her vision.

His hand landed on hers and at the contact she let go of the fork she had been holding to let their fingers lace together. "You okay?" he asked, concerned. "You had a similar look earlier," he added, his eyes flickering to the spot he proposed to her in.

Momentarily, she looked heavenwards, trying to calm the emotions that had welled up these tears in her eyes. "More than okay," she said on a soft smile. "I am," she paused to take a breath, "oh, so, _so_ happy." She shook her head, blinking away a new onslaught of tears. "And so incredibly grateful," she paused again, "for this," she looked around, "for you." Her breath hitched and she had no choice but to trail off.

"Me too," he told her, squeezing her hand, smiling when she met his gaze. "Like I said earlier," he went on, and she couldn't help but blush, guilty for having completely zoned out 'earlier', "so much has happened and so much is still happening and will happen." He was talking about their respective work situations, his health issues, Stroh who, despite the barely existent evidence, was always at the back of their minds. It was as if he had read her earlier thoughts and known where they were taking her. "But I can't imagine facing any of it with anyone else but you. The good and the bad," he shrugged, pulling back his hand to wave it through the air, "it's all either more fun or easier to face with you by my side." Emotion laced his next words. "It's been that way for a while now."

Well, there was no way for her to hold back the tears now. Furiously, she wiped at her cheeks as they escaped, having to even lift her glasses a bit. She recalled her earlier conclusion and, daring to use her voice again, she said, "I wouldn't have it any other way either." On a watery smile, she added, "Haven't _wanted_ it any other way for a while now, too."

She knew he was as touched as she was when he swallowed, and not food, for his plate was by now empty. He still smiled though, and leaned over the table. Meeting him halfway, they kissed, the kiss saying everything they couldn't find words for. And by the time they broke apart and sat back on their chairs, her tears had stopped running and they smiled at each other.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "So are you ready for dessert?" he asked, eyeing her nearly empty plate.

She appreciated his attempt of lifting the heavy mood. "There's dessert?" she asked.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Of course there's dessert."

She clasped her hands together and put them neatly on top of the table. "Well, in that case, yes, I'd love some dessert."

Eager to please, he was on his feet instantly. "Be right back," he said, quickly kissing her again.

But she grabbed his arm before he could walk into the condo. "Wait for me," she told his puzzled look, already scrambling to her feet. She didn't feel like _not_ being near him just yet and apparently he didn't mind it either, for he offered no protest.

But walking toward the kitchen arm in arm, Sharon stopped them halfway there, her eyes sweeping over the living room again. They had undergone a significant change between now and the last time they stood there, even if barely an hour had passed between the two occasions. Their change in status meant they had a lot to discuss now, but those were all matters she knew could wait until after they indulged in this little celebration of _them_.

She felt his questioning gaze and looked up at him. Her thoughts still lingering on the idea of status, she finally said, "I am no longer your girlfriend."

His entire face lit up. "You're my fiancée now," he said, sounding almost giddy with happiness. On a snicker he added, "Can't wait to tell my doctor!"

She burst out laughing, a high, content sigh escaping her as she turned and let her forehead fall against the side of his chest.

He watched her laughter rumble through her, the stupid grin on his face indication enough of how much he was enjoying the view.

Once calmed down, she looked up and, on instinct, he wrapped his arms around her, capturing the lingering smile on her lips between his. Unsurprisingly, the kiss quickly escalated and both of them slowly got lost in it. But when Sharon's hands curled around his suspenders, Andy came to his senses and pulled back.

"I thought we were on our way to get dessert?" he asked, a little breathless, when she opened her eyes to, judging by the look on her face, protest.

"Well, I was in the middle of it," she mumbled, an entirely too suggestive feel to the words. Her raised eyebrow only further punctuated her point.

He only managed to let out a lame, "Oh," when she pulled him down by his suspenders to pick up where they left off.

* * *

 _ **So, what do you think?**_

 _ **Btw, if this ends up being completely off target, depending on what happens in the next episode, I just might give this final scene a new spin. We'll see.**_

 _ **Also, thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews so far!**_


	25. 5x17c

_**First of all, let me start by screaming: OH MY GOD! IT IS ACTUALLY OFFICIAL! OUR TWO IDIOTS IN LOVE ARE NOW TWO ENGAGED IDIOTS IN LOVE!**_

 _ **Okay, so that being said, can I also just say how much I loved this episode in terms of it actually being about an ensemble cast? Sure, it was very Shandy oriented (and obviously I LOVED that), but everybody had their moment, literally everybody. Julio with Mark, Provenza and his memory (or lack of it), Buzz and proving Provenza wrong, Amy's interactions with Provenza, Julio yelling apologies at pedestrians during the car chase, schooling Wes, being excited for Shandy, Rusty actually serving a purpose that benefited someone else other than him, Wes cutting short Mike's rat poison explanation, and of course, Sharon and Andy and Ricky. Seriously, this is the kind of episodes I wanna see more of. The last episode was close to this ensemble format as well.**_

 _ **Anyway, in my last add-on to 5x17 I said I'd probably have to adjust or re-write it depending on how ep 18 turns out. Well, I think it still works canon-wise, so I just decided to expand it with a morning after scene which kind of ties in to stuff addressed in 5x18.**_

 _ **It's simple really and mostly written for purposes of keeping this set of scenes canon-compliant. Hope you like it, since I was also trying to wrap my head around this whole annulment business and Andy apparently being completely clueless about it.**_

 _ **My next add-ons will be about 5x18 and might address this annulment business more, but expect a bit of Julio and Provenza in them as well. :)**_

 _ **Oh, before you start reading, and since I think I just don't say this often enough - thank you so much for reading and taking a moment to review these! Hearing your thoughts on these can really make my day and keep me going! So thank you! :)**_

* * *

"Morning, future Mrs. Flynn."

She smiled in her sleepy state, stretching as she turned to her side to face the source of the words. She could not recall the last time she had woken up to such a feeling of utter blissfulness.

She hummed, opening her eyes. Andy was there, lying on his side, wide awake, his head propped up on an elbow as he watched her with a dopey grin on his face. She smiled back. "We'll see about that," she mumbled sleepily, scooting closer to him and closing her eyes again once her forehead found a relaxing place on his chest. She may have been blissful, but unlike Andy who currently, albeit unwillingly, had the benefit of shorter workdays, she was also exhausted and longed to catch up on some sleep. And judging by the rather low light in the room, it was way too early for them to be up already anyway.

She felt him move, her head slipping off his chest and flopping onto the mattress as his unexpected movement caught her unawares. "Uh, you're not taking my name?" he grumbled. She looked up at him, becoming more alert now that she detected a bit of hurt in the words, but he continued talking before she could interject. "I mean, I guess it could get awkward at work." He raised an eyebrow then frowned. "Huh, haven't really thought about it." Now he just sounded surprised. "I guess, that's u-"

Maybe she would not be going back to sleep just yet.

She cut his rambling off by pressing a kiss to his lips. She hummed as she pulled back, happy to see the return of his earlier grin to his face. She spoke as she propped herself on an elbow like him. "We can discuss that later." She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it."

That only made him narrow his eyes at her, apparently that was easier said that done. But he reached for her left hand and changed the topic. "You know," there was a bit of smugness to his words as he went on, "we haven't really talked much about this," he told her, looking at her hand as his thumb fiddled with the ring he placed on her finger.

She chuckled, her gaze on her hand as well. "We never even got to dessert," she told him, looking at him over an upturned eyebrow.

He shot her a bland look. "That's not what you said last night."

She laughed, but spoke more seriously once her laughter ebbed away. "But you're right. We have a lot to talk about actually." He nodded and, on a smile, she added, "And my surname is not too high on that list of topics at the moment."

His gaze dropped to her hand again as he laced their fingers together over her hip and he nodded. "Topics like how we wanna do this and when." He looked at her. "When and how we'll tell our kids." He shrugged to add, "Or the squad."

"Mhm," she hummed, nodding slightly. "I'd like to hold off on telling the squad," she told him.

His eyebrows went up. "Why?" he asked, then gave her an incredulous look. "You know Provenza's gonna be all over me the moment we step back into the murder room, right?"

"Oh," she let out on a sympathetic sigh, "I know. I just-"

"I guess, we don't have to make a big announcement," he interrupted, suddenly sounding concerned a little. "Just flash the ring," he smirked, "they're detectives, they can put two and two together on their own."

It was her turn to frown. "What?" she asked, sounding mildly offended that he seemed to think she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. "I _want_ a big announcement," she said, giving him an incredulous look. "And, if memory serves, you wanted to shout it from the rooftops not so many hours ago yourself," she pointed out.

He grinned. "Damn right I did." Over a firm nod of his head he added, "Still do."

She squeezed his hand. "But not yet," she added seriously, even though his little interjection put a smile on her face.

"Why not?" he asked just as seriously as the grin disappeared from his face.

"Because you're right," she said, letting out a soft breath of air. "We haven't talked about this, and I'd really like to before we bring it into work. And as you so nicely pointed out, they are detectives." She gave him a knowing look. "And detectives have questions." Suddenly she shifted to sit up against the headboard. "And a lot of them," she added, letting go of his hand and watching him sit up as well. "I don't want it to become awkward if they ask questions we don't have answers to." She shot him a wide-eyed, mostly exaggerated look. "Or worse, if we have _different_ answers to them."

"Questions like what kind of wedding we're having," he said, nailing one of the more predominant matters on her mind right on the head.

On a small smile, she slowly nodded. "Among other things," she said diplomatically, not exactly certain she wanted to discuss any of those questions at the crack of dawn much less that particular one.

He sighed, clearly intent on discussing it anyway. "You'd like a Catholic union." He sounded resigned, slightly disappointed even.

"Well," her voice took on a slightly higher pitch, "maybe." She found his hand and, smiling reassuringly at him, she added, "But not having one is not necessarily going to be a deal breaker."

He nodded a few times, absentmindedly, then suddenly gave her a wide-eyed, almost panicky look. "Uh," he swallowed, "'necessarily'?" He frowned and his voice raised defensively. "What's that supposed-"

"That's not what I meant," she interrupted gently, patting his thigh. "This," she put up her left hand, wiggling her ring finger, "is a yes, even if I can't marry you in a church, Andy," she assured him, smiling.

That however, only managed to confuse him all over again. "But," he dragged the word out and gave her a puzzled look, "you said 'maybe' on a Catholic union?"

"Yes, I did," she confirmed on a nod.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "So you don't really know if you want to have a Catholic wedding or not?" he prodded.

She shrugged and took a breath. "Well, of course I would _like_ to have it," she finally said. "But I think I need a moment to wrap my head around probably not being allowed to have it," she added somewhat ruefully.

He turned his hand palm upwards and wrapped it around hers that was still on top of it. He took a deep breath. "Okay," he told her quietly. "We figure that and everything else out, then we break the news at work."

She indicated her ring with the tilt of her head. "So I don't wear this to work just yet?" she asked just to make sure of it.

"Not if you don't want to," he told her, giving her one of those understanding smiles of his.

She nodded. "Yet," she reiterated, squeezing his hand.

His smile went from understanding to confident and reassured, and he nodded, squeezing her hand in agreement.

"Thank you," she said, leaning toward him to kiss his cheek.

He smiled when she pulled away. "But," he said, making her raise an eyebrow at him, "you look like something else is on your mind." It was most definitely not a question.

She sighed. Because, yes, there was something else on her mind.

A glimmer of hope called annulment.

It did not surprise her that Andy clearly had not thought of it. He simply never lingered on his faith as long and as intensely as she did on hers. It just wasn't a priority of his. It was no wonder then that the idea would probably be the farthest thing on his mind, even if he could easily recognize that she did not like the idea of entering a marriage with him while, in the eyes of God, still being married to someone else.

And she wouldn't bring it up. Part of the reason for it was probably just good old-fashioned Catholic guilt. It was bad enough that she was the reason for an annulment possibly becoming a topic in the first place. She could not also be the one suggesting it to him. And, if she was perfectly honest with herself, a part of her maybe worried he wouldn't want to do it.

Truthfully, she wasn't sure she wanted to do it herself. It would mean facing Jack again. It would mean opening old wounds. And she just knew he would drag it all out, too, to make the most of the opportunity to make her life a bit more difficult again and she wasn't sure she had the energy for it. Not yet, anyway. She would probably have to talk to her biological children about it as well.

And while Sandra wasn't nearly as difficult to deal with as Jack was, she would expect Andy to have similar qualms about it.

Despite it all, and whether he really wanted to or not, he would probably do it for _her_ without question. That she did not doubt. After all, wasn't _she_ , in turn, considering doing it for _him_?

Nevertheless, she felt he needed to consider annulment himself. That was the only way to make sure it was really done for the right reasons, even if one of those reasons would still obviously be her.

"Yes, there is," she admitted, because she could never lie to him. "But I have to think about it myself before I can tell you anything."

She knew he would sigh and nod before he ever did. It wasn't the first time that she had asked him to wait for her to sort her thoughts (and feelings) out. She also knew he would change the topic before he ever opened his mouth to actually do so.

"What about the kids?"

She felt guilty that the question left him in such a hesitant manner, so she offered him a bright, genuine smile and turned slightly to face him. She ran a hand down the side of his arm. "Well, I won't have too many answers for them either," she chuckled softly, almost nervously even, "but at _them_ ," she said, suddenly feeling almost giddy at the prospect, "you can shout the news as loud as you want."

His face lit up and his mouth stayed open for several moments as he looked at her before he actually spoke again. "I can?" he asked, disbelief evident.

She laughed. "Of course."

Although, even if she were against it, which she really wasn't, Rusty had probably already told Emily and Ricky about the proposal, so there was no way to avoid telling them anyway. She was also sure that, if she were to check her phone, she would find proof of her assumption in the form of plenty of missed texts or calls from the both of them. And she doubted Andy's children had no inkling about what he had in store for her either. He had been far too excited about this. He was bound to either have let it slip in front of Nicole or to have his excitement give him away all on its own.

Andy smirked. "I guess it helps that only one of them actually lives here and knows not to pry?"

She put her hands over her mouth and shrugged guiltily. "Yes," she admitted pathetically.

"You know," he started, chuckling, "if it weren't for this," he reached for her left hand and pried it away from her face, "I don't think my ego would be able to handle you putting on the breaks like this."

She sighed and tilted her head sideways as she looked at him. She dropped her free hand into her lap. "It has nothing to do with your ego, Andy," she said honestly. "I'm not putting on any breaks either," she said defensively, "I just," she took a breath, "need to-"

"Think about it. Talk about it," Andy interceded. He waved his hand, the one holding hers, at her. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, "I know." He was no longer muttering and his tone softened considerably when he added, "Sharon, it's just how you operate." He pinned her with a hard look and reiterated, "I know."

She smiled.

She knew Andy Flynn was not a patient man, but in moments like these she thought he had the patience of a saint. He could have just insisted on telling the team anyway. She knew he didn't like keeping things from them, especially happy news like this. Especially from Provenza. Although she had a feeling her second in command would somehow find out before anyone else anyway. Or he could have insisted on answering any of their (or, for that matter, their children's) questions with a simple "We don't know yet." or "We haven't really thought about it yet."

So the fact that he didn't only warmed her heart more and made her that much more certain of this, of them. Even if it frustrated him, and it did, she knew, he understood her need to somehow prepare for it. And she was incredibly grateful for it.

She extricated her hand from his hold only to reach for his face and kiss him in another form of thanks. By the time they pulled apart she found herself in his lap, straddling him, his hands above her hips holding her in place. "I'm actually thinking about a little get-together to announce this to the team," she informed him happily.

"Like a party?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes," she confirmed on a smile. At his still surprised look, she added a bit blandly, "I will soon shout this from the rooftops as well." Her air quotation marks made it clear she was speaking metaphorically. She then shook her head at him. "I don't plan on just _thinking_ and _talking_ about this forever, you know?"

He gave her a lopsided smile. "Nah, you just plan on living with me forever," he quipped before quickly kissing her again.

"And loving you," she said softly, kissing him back.

"And driving me nuts," he added, feigning exasperation by rolling his eyes at her. "For all eternity," he drawled.

She snorted, resting her forehead against his as she laughed.

He chuckled and tried to get a better look at her face. "Is that a yes on that?"

She looked at him. "What was it you said earlier, damn right?" she asked rhetorically, pretending to have to think about it. She then smirked and said, "Damn right it is!"

On a laugh, he asked, "And this party of yours won't, by any chance, have anything to do with your sense of occasion?"

"Maybe," she quipped, throwing a coy smile his way.

It was his turn to smirk. "And would your sense of occasion mind another round of a more," he paused to peck her on the lips, "private celebration?"

"I don't know," she said, doing her best but failing terribly at keeping a straight face, "maybe you should ask it."

In response he just kissed her.

She was most definitely not going back to sleep now.


	26. 5x18a

_**Moving on to episode 18! Yay! There are two scenes here.**_

 _ **The first one is actually set between episodes 17 and 18. You know by now that some of these add-ons are also follow ups to some of my previous additions, so it should be of no surprise to you that this one is, of course, connected to my added scenes for episode 17. :)**_

 _ **The second one takes place somewhere in the middle of the episode, on an imagined return car drive to headquarters after checking out that door at Mary's place. It has Julio, whom I just adore, in it!**_

 _ **Warning, I am Proflynnza-deprived at the moment, so I would like to apologize for the VERY silly turn these have taken. Especially the first add-on.**_

* * *

The first one

When they walked into the murder room, its only occupant was Provenza. When he heard them, he turned in his chair, not bothering to hide what he was doing as his eyes sought out his boss's left hand.

His eyes, however, practically popped out of their sockets when his investigation came to a surprising conclusion and Sharon only barely managed to suppress a smirk. Andy, on the other hand, shot her an unimpressed look while waving a hand at Provenza as if to say, "And this is what I'll have to deal with now."

In response, she shrugged, clearly more amused by it than concerned about it. Throwing Provenza a cheerful, "Good morning, Lieutenant," on her way, she walked past Andy and stepped into her office.

Provenza seemed too shocked to be able to voice a return greeting, however, the moment she closed the door, ignoring the fact that the blinds in her office were wide open, he was on his feet and on his way to Andy's desk.

"Are you kidding me?" he hissed, incredulous.

"About what?" Andy's voice went up in feigned defensiveness as he sat down on his desk chair.

He and Sharon had already made their peace with having to tell Provenza before anybody else in the squad. If he didn't tell him, they would just end up driving each other crazy and, as Sharon had graciously pointed out, that wouldn't do Andy's blood pressure any good either. However, that didn't mean that Andy couldn't try getting a rise out of annoying his partner a bit first.

Provenza slapped Andy's arm with the back of his hand. "Now I know why you didn't answer my texts!" he grumbled.

"I didn-" Andy started to explain.

"You chickened out," Provenza just kept on angrily talking over his partner's words. "You were bouncing off the walls for days," the last word left him on an exasperated groan, "and you _chickened out_!" For emphasis, he smacked him over the arm once more.

"Would you stop it?" Andy exclaimed, growing slightly irritated as he rubbed the now sore spot on his arm. He had not expected to be dealing with a violent Provenza. "And would you keep it down?" he added more quietly as he looked around them. "Not everybody needs to hear this."

Provenza scoffed and folded his arms across his chest, his gaze briefly falling on Sharon seated behind her desk, head buried in a manila folder. "Hear what?" He did lower his voice, but then unfolded his arms to wave a hand in Sharon's direction and to add, "Apparently nothing happened!"

That had Andy frown and he got to his feet to fold his own arms. He pinned his partner with an irritated look and when he spoke, he was no longer just feigning defensiveness. His earlier plan of getting a rise out of his partner had obviously spectacularly failed.

"Now, why would you assume I didn't ask, huh?"

"Because-" Provenza started angrily but then promptly shut his mouth and swallowed. "Ye Gods, she shot you down?" he asked incredulously. He even threw Sharon a quick wide-eyed look of horror, not that she seemed to be paying him any attention.

Andy sighed and rolled his eyes. He did his best to give his partner the most condescending look he could muster and said, "For your information, I did not chicken out." There was a bit of derision in the last two words. "I asked." He puffed his chest out proudly. "And she said yes."

Provenza swallowed again, then frowned. "But where's the ring?" he asked, again waving a hand at Sharon in her office.

Andy rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time and was about to explain, but Provenza once again decided to just talk over him.

"Got the wrong ring size, huh?" he said smugly, his words shaking with laughter.

Andy gave him a blank look. "The ring's at h-"

"You know," Provenza interrupted again and pointed a finger at him, "had you let me in on your plans _before_ you went ring shopping, I could have helped you with that." A nod of his head emphasized his obvious point.

Forgetting what he originally wanted to say, Andy suddenly asked, simultaneously sounding concerned and impressed, "How would you know Sharon's ring si-" Before he could voice his question fully, its answer occurred to him and he scoffed, interrupting himself. "Of course," he unfolded his arms and waved a hand at his partner, "leave it to the serial husband to know everybody's ring size."

Provenza huffed, unimpressed. More calmly though he then asked, "So she said yes?"

With that, Andy relaxed and smiled brightly. "Yeah," he said, nodding.

"But you got her the wrong ring size?" Provenza added, snickering.

It took effort to hold back this particular eye roll, but somehow Andy succeeded and instead he said, "She left it at home." Provenza's eyes got wide, but thankfully, before he opened his mouth, Andy was able to further explain. "We told the kids. They were thrilled, by the way." He grinned. "But she wants to do a little party for you guys." Shrugging, he added, "You know, make a more formal, fun announcement. So we're not telling anyone here yet."

Provenza looked at him blankly. "So why are you telling me?" he mumbled completely seriously.

Andy gave him an incredulous look, his earlier calmness vanishing instantly, and threw his arms out. "Are you kidding me?" His voice went dangerously high.

Neither one had noticed that Sharon had, by then, gotten up from her desk and walked to her office door. Just as Provenza was about to say something again, she opened it.

"Is everything alright?" she asked innocently, making Andy give her a sarcastic look that said, "Like you don't know what's going on."

To Andy's surprise, Provenza smiled at her and extended a hand. "I hear congratulations are in order." He even sounded genuine.

Sharon seemed clearly surprised as well, but her raised eyebrows quickly lowered and she accepted his hand, smiling as she said, her eyes on Andy, "Thank you."

And that was as much politeness as they would be getting from Provenza because his next words were, "Can't believe you said yes to this guy, Captain." He hooked a thumb at Andy next to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andy asked, offended. It didn't help his ego that Sharon chuckled.

Provenza shrugged and looked at him. "Well, I had no idea you even knew _how_ to propose to someone."

"Oh, he was wonderful," Sharon assured him on a charming smile, but Andy ignored her support and narrowed his eyes at his partner.

"Just because you propose every other year," Andy muttered, "doesn't make you the resident expert on proposals." His eyes narrowed even more as he added, "Or marriages, for that matter."

Suddenly, Sharon laughed. "An expert on divorces maybe," she let out and, judging by the briefly startled look that crossed her features once she said the words, she had said them without thinking.

Andy burst out laughing, but Provenza whipped his head around to give her an offended look. "You two spent entirely too much time together," he finally said, pointing a finger at them. With that, he turned on the spot to walk back to his desk. He wasn't fast enough though to hide the amused smile on his face.

Sharon shrugged a shoulder guiltily at Andy, her expression a slight grimace, but Andy just kept on laughing quietly. "That was a good one," he told her, loudly enough for Provenza to hear.

From his chair now, he just shot him a glare in response, but seemed amused as well.

"Erm, Lieutenant?" Sharon said before walking back into her office. When he looked up at her, she went on, "If you would-"

Again Provenza interrupted. "Yeah, yeah," he waved a hand at both of them, returning his focus to what Andy assumed was a crossword puzzle, "secret's safe with me."

"Thank you," Sharon said and after another shrug and raised eyebrow in Andy's direction that said, "Well, that was interesting." she walked back into her office.

Andy grinned and shook his head as he sat back down. He only just pressed the button to turn his computer on, when a little ball of paper hit him on the left side of his head.

Instantly angry, he turned in his chair, rubbing a finger over the hit spot. "What the hell, Provenza?"

Provenza opened his mouth to answer, but just then, Mike walked into the murder room, a, "Good morning," on his lips, so he promptly shut his mouth.

They greeted the man, but Andy kept his angry glare on Provenza. It was a common enough occurrence apparently, for, if Mike noticed, he said nothing.

Provenza rolled his eyes at his partner, but then rather somberly, tilted his head toward Sharon's office, before closing his eyes and curtly nodding his head at him.

Knowing what it meant, Andy smiled happily. He nodded his thanks in return, then located the little ball of paper somewhere on his keyboard. When Provenza returned to his crossword puzzle, Andy threw it back at him, hitting him on his right temple.

This Mike noticed for sure, and when Provenza shot his now smugly grinning partner an angry glare, he let out an amused, "Ha!"

* * *

The second one

"Now how come I'm stuck in the backseat again," Provenza complained to Julio as they drove back to headquarters, "and she," he hooked a thumb at Sharon who was sitting in the front passenger seat, "gets to ride shotgun?"

Julio chuckled and shot his Captain an amused look. In response, she quirked a knowing eyebrow at him. The two knew Provenza was grumpier than usual only because, a few minutes ago after they inspected their crime scene again, he had to admit that he had been wrong about something. And what was worse, he had to admit that Buzz and Wes had been right from the get-go.

"I'm a gentleman," he quipped, meeting the Lieutenant's disgruntled look in his rear view mirror.

"And I hate to have to remind you, Lieutenant," Sharon added on a laugh, "but I also outrank you."

Provenza narrowed his eyes at her, but addressed Julio again. "You could have at least let me drive," he muttered.

"It's my car, Sir," Julio said, suppressing another chuckle.

Provenza sighed in defeat and leaned back in the middle of the back seat. "I miss Flynn," he grumbled.

"Don't worry, Sir," Julio said, grinning, "you'll see him in a few minutes."

That earned him an irritated glare from Provenza, while Sharon turned slightly in her seat to look at her second in command.

"I'd still be riding shotgun, Lieutenant," she said, trying to sound serious, but failing miserably since laughter shook her voice and she couldn't couldn't contain her amused smile.

"Ah," Provenza lifted a finger and pointed it at her, "chances are you wouldn't be here at all, Captain."

Raising an eyebrow at him, her smile faltered. "Fair point," she conceded over a single nod of her head as she turned forwards in her seat. She had only been out in the field more because Andy was benched for now. Catching Provenza's eye in the rear view mirror, she however, added, "I'll make sure he knows how much you miss him though."

Julio laughed.

"Stop it," Provenza barked at him. "Or I'll make you late for the judge tomorrow," he threatened.

Julio promptly stopped laughing, even if they all knew Provenza would never make good on that particular threat.

"Speaking of the judge," Sharon said conversationally, her attention on Julio. He glanced at her. "Any plans to celebrate with Mark afterwards?" She smiled and added, "I bet he's excited."

Julio smiled as well. "Oh, he's excited alright." He gave her another quick look. "I think I am a little, too," he admitted.

Her smile widened. "You'll make a great guardian, Julio," she said, tapping his shoulder.

He nodded, his smile becoming nearly shy. "Thank you, Ma'am. I will do my best."

"So no plans?" she inquired, reminding him of her original question.

It was Provenza who, in a huff, answered. "He's taking him for a round of," he made a grimace, "putt-putt."

"Oh," Sharon clasped her hands together excitedly, "that sounds like fun."

Julio nodded enthusiastically. "I didn't plan it as a celebration or anything," he told her seriously. "But it is fun," he added on a smile.

"Ye Gods," Provenza let out from the back seat. Sharon quirked an eyebrow at him but he ignored her and just raised a hand and waved it at Julio. "This one's into putt-putt." He looked at Sharon and repeated the gesture. "This one's becoming a Flynn."

Sharon smirked. "If I didn't know better, Lieutenant, I'd say your congratulations the other day were not as sincere as I thought they were."

The slight slump of Provenza's shoulders confirmed that they _were_ sincere. He couldn't, however say anything possibly contradictory because Julio, looking surprised, spoke up before he could.

"The 'other day', Lieutenant?" he asked. "Does that mean you knew about this," he gestured at Sharon with a flicker of his hand, "before us?" He pointed the hand at himself then.

"Of course I knew," Provenza muttered. "That he'd propose, too," he added more matter-of-factly.

Sharon raised an eyebrow and shot Provenza a knowing look. She spoke to Julio, however. "The way I heard it, the Lieutenant, uh," she paused briefly, " _finagled_ the information out of his partner."

Julio chuckled at the offended look Provenza shot her. "I'm surprised you didn't ruin the surprise, Sir," he told him. "You know," he shrugged, "payback and all that."

Sharon laughed softly.

"Well," Provenza drawled, "some of us are better than others, I guess."

Julio smirked, meeting Provenza's look in the rear view mirror again. "You already made him pay for that, didn't you, Sir?" he asked knowingly.

A smug look settled on Provenza's features. "Maybe," he quipped noncommittally, his gaze falling purposefully on the window to his right.

"Or maybe," Sharon now turned in her seat as much as she could to give Provenza a look that said she knew that there had been no paybacks now or in the past, "you were just a little bit," she pinched two fingers together, "excited for him?"

Provenza's head snapped away from the window to look at her. Recognizing the meaning behind her look, he just folded his arms and, shaking his head, returned his attention to the window. "I _really_ miss Flynn," he muttered.

A broad smile graced Sharon's lips as she turned forward again.

Julio chuckled and, having reached a red light, took a moment to look at her. When, with her smile still in place, she raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him, he grinned and said jokingly, a touch of awe to his words though, "Ma'am, I'm not sure I miss Lieutenant Flynn at all."


	27. 5x18b

**_I was a little bit bugged by Andy's apparent obliviousness in this episode. So I wanted to kind of fix that by attempting to get into his head and exploring this annulment business further. I'm probably adding way too much deeper meaning to all this but, meh, this is where my weird mind took me, so..._**

 ** _Also, I like the idea of Sharon and Andy not always being on the same page and sometimes even miscommunicating, because let's face it, anyone who has ever been in a relationship knows it's not always smooth sailing. And I wish we saw more of that on the show. But I will not complain, not after the gems of episodes we were given in the past couple of weeks. XD_**

 ** _Instead, I will just write a scene that takes place after episode 18 ends and try to fill the gaps myself. ;)_**

* * *

They were most certainly not doing the environment any favors but they took three cars home that night. Rusty took his. Ricky took Sharon's. And Andy and Sharon took Andy's. Dinner was discussed, decided on and ordered in the elevator. Rusty would be picking it up along the way and they would have a quiet dinner at home instead of a busy restaurant.

Despite the good mood they had been in after leaving the office, Sharon and Andy spent the first five minutes of their car ride in silence. Andy couldn't tell what Sharon used that silence for, but he was kept busy by his frantically racing mind.

It wasn't as if the idea had not occurred to him. It had, initially and briefly, when she first voiced her desire to be wed in Church.

But he hadn't mentioned it to her. It just seemed too big of a hassle for something that, in the end, might not even go through. Dealing with the exes, dealing with the past, opening long forgotten wounds. Not to mention how much time they might have to invest in it.

Then, however, he talked to her sons. And when, afterwards, the idea occurred to him again, it stayed with him for quite a while after that.

He still hadn't mentioned it to her though. For different reasons this time. Reasons he felt he needed to wrap his head around before he could even consider suggesting it to Sharon.

Years, no, decades of his life he had spent trying to set things right. Trying to make amends. Trying to make up for lost time. He had been a spectacular disappointment all those years ago. He had let his then-wife down and more importantly, and much more worse, he had let his children down.

And then to have the entire marriage annulled?

Like it hadn't happened at all?

He did not deserve to be let off the hook that easily. No matter how much time had passed between then and now, he could not just have it all erased.

And if he could, could he really ask his ex-wife for such a favor? He doubted that she would have been against it. If he was in her shoes however, he would have gone above and beyond to not grant him that wish. He also knew, however, that she was better than such petty behavior. And that was just one in a long list of reasons why he still hated himself for what he had put her through and why he maybe didn't feel like broaching the subject himself just yet.

Not that any of it really mattered now. His ex-wife had put in the papers for an annulment and, while obviously confirming his earlier conclusions, made the decision for him. However, it felt strange that he had been practically so hesitant about asking her for an annulment himself, but now that she had gotten the ball rolling herself, it felt like the easiest thing in the world to just go through with it. He knew part of him would have agreed to it this easily even if it didn't play so well into his own cards, because he had long ago started putting an effort into not making her life miserable anymore, but part of him wondered what else it was that held him back from taking that step himself. Especially considering how much it would mean to Sharon to be able to join him in a Catholic union instead of just a civil one.

Briefly shifting his absentminded focus from the busy LA streets in front of him, he chanced a glance at Sharon. There was a faint trace of a smile playing at her lips and she seemed content. But her head was turned slightly to the right as her gaze followed the swirl of buildings they passed by and she also seemed lost in thought. He wondered if her thoughts involved annulment as well.

Suddenly, without any warning, several pieces in his head connected to form a picture he had been blissfully unaware of mere minutes ago. He shot Sharon a wide-eyed look as it dawned on him that annulment _was_ on her mind as well. And not just now, but had been probably for as long as it had been on his.

He had no idea how it had managed to completely slip under his radar. Was he just so over the moon about her saying yes to him that he simply wasn't paying enough attention? Or was he too absorbed in figuring out how to approach this topic himself to realize that, apparently, she had been wrestling with similar issues? And now that he finally realized it, he wanted to kick himself for not having registered it sooner. Of course she, of all people, would have thought about it. And to think that it took his ex-wife to call for him to finally broach the subject with Sharon... Oh, he really could just kick himself.

However, he _had_ picked up on some awkwardness earlier in the murder room, but only now did he understand why. Even her children, or at least Ricky and Rusty, had figured this out before he had. He doubted though that she approached any of them on her own. She wouldn't before talking to him, he was certain of that. And knowing Rusty, he guessed it was Ricky who probably not too subtly must have brought up the subject the other night. And if Ricky and Rusty knew, Emily must have known as well. And if his wife just happened to have impeccable timing by calling to talk annulment, it wasn't hard to guess that apparently, his daughter had been roped into this as well.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry about the fact that their children seemed to have been conspiring against them these past few days. Unable to decide, he suddenly, involuntarily groaned and let his head hit the backrest of his seat.

The unexpected noise snapped Sharon out of her musings and she looked at him.

"What?" A touch of surprised amusement tinted her word.

"Some detective I am, huh?" he told her.

He wasn't looking directly at her, but he saw her eyebrows go up anyway. "You finally put it together?" she asked, although the words didn't really sound like a question.

He gave her an incredulous look. "Sharon," he took a breath, "we both thought about this, but _everybody_ discussed it," he threw a hand out, "except _us_!"

She chuckled, but said seriously, "I thought you didn't consider it at all." She smiled regretfully. "It's why I felt it wasn't my place to suggest it either."

He shot her a quick, bland look. "I may not be as devout as you," he told her teasingly, "but I am not stupid either." He waved a hand through the air. "I know how this works, my dear. I considered it alright."

She pursed her lips and shot him an equally bland look. The expression lasted merely a second though and she then smiled indulgently and shook her head at him. That let him know she put a finger on one of his own reasons for not bringing it up. "And you concluded it wasn't worth the effort."

He shrugged, effectively confirming her conclusion, and, having reached a red light, used the chance to actually look at her as he spoke. "Plus, imagine this." He paused, then went on sarcastically, "Hi, Sandra, can we please annul our marriage and forget any of this ever happened so that I-"

Sharon interrupted him. She sounded genuinely surprised when she spoke and he realized she clearly hadn't thought of this particular reason of his. "That's what you think this would mean?" When she continued, she sounded incredulous, too. "That none of it ever happened? That it would, what, erase your past?"

The light turned green so he couldn't look at her as he simply said, "Wouldn't it?"

Suddenly, she laughed. "And here I thought you might have wanted to _avoid_ the past." She laughed again, somewhat bitterly this time. "I know _I_ wanted to." On an eye roll, she added, "Especially with Jack who, I'm sure, would do his best to draw all of this out."

That had Andy throw her a quick, puzzled look. "And now you don't?"

Sharon, however, backpedaled to the earlier issue. "You can move forward, Andy," she told him gently. "It won't erase your past, so stop punishing yourself to make sure of it." She tapped his forearm to have him glance at her again. "Don't you think we're allowed to simply learn from our mistakes and start afresh?"

"Punishing myself," he repeated, surprised, as his eyes fell back on the road in front of him.

He hadn't even realized that that was what he was essentially doing. Punishing himself. Asking for an annulment felt like lifting that punishment, which was originally imposed by someone else, himself. No wonder it was so easy to accept his ex-wife's announcement. It was always easier to receive a pardon than to ask for one. And he could definitely label her phone call as an official pardon.

He suppressed a groan. How could something this old and this distant, still have such a hold on him? And an unconscious one at that?

"Andy?"

Her soft utterance snapped him out of his thoughts. He was grateful for another red light, for he could look at her again.

"You're right," he told her. Smirking suddenly, he added, "You know, I should thank those two boys of yours for this."

She groaned, the back of her head hitting her seat's headrest as she did so. "I made it clear to Ricky not to meddle!" She looked at him apologetically, but her next words sounded both impressed and incredulous. "Rusty must have called Nicole."

Andy grinned. "We can think of a punishment later," he assured her, because it really was a bit more meddling than he could honestly appreciate even if it all turned out for the very best. "But," he went on, "I don't know if I'd have ever dared file for annulment myself," he shrugged, "so maybe we can be mad and grateful at the same time?"

She shot him an amused look, but then an eyebrow of hers went up and she asked softly, "You really wouldn't have asked for it yourself?" Her hand drew a quick circle in the air. "You know, if, somehow, we ever actually talked about this before our kids butted in?"

Traffic got moving again so he had to look away again. "I'd have gotten over myself for you eventually," he added jokingly.

Only the joke misfired and she frowned and folded her arms. "And that is another reason why I didn't say anything," she told him in a huff.

"Huh?" he shot her a quick, taken aback look. "Why?" he said on a confused frown.

She frowned as well, but obviously not in confusion. "Because I can't be the only reason you'd want to let go of your past."

"Huh," he let out as he tried to make sense of that.

She stayed quiet, too, letting him do so.

He would have done it had she asked. He knew that much. What was more, he would have ignored his misgivings about it, and done so without hesitation. It didn't matter if he thought he deserved to, as Sharon put it, be punished. He would have moved past it just to make her happy.

And as that thought occurred to him, everything else suddenly fell into place as well. She wanted him to think about it on his own, _really_ think about it, without her being at the forefront of those thoughts. That's why she didn't want the idea to come from her. She wanted him to really understand what annulment meant, whether he took their faith as seriously as she did or not. Had she said anything, he realized he would still have thought about how uncomfortable it would be to dive back into that sad past, but he doubted he'd have ever figured out that he was also at the same time comfortable with that silent, hidden punishment his Catholic marriage still exerted over him.

So in a way, if he had asked for an annulment just because she suggested it, it would have been like going to confession and asking for forgiveness without feeling any honest remorse for the sins committed. And that was another reason why he had stayed mum about it, he realized. Even if he felt like doing it for her in an instant, he couldn't really do it when it somehow also felt dishonest. And even though religion never played as big a role in his life as it did in Sharon's, he was many things, but dishonest was not one of them. Both outside and inside of the Catholic Church.

He hated to admit it, but maybe Sandra calling today had been a blessing. How long would they have skirted this issue, or the solution actually, had she not been talked into taking the initiative here? When would he have realized that he really shouldn't punish himself for his past mistakes anymore and that he was allowed to move forward and finally be as happy as he thought he'd be when he entered his first marriage?

"You're not the only reason I want to let go of my past," he finally said quietly.

And he meant it. Yes, she was, of course, still a reason for it, but he realized that he actually _needed_ this now as well. If he wanted to truly, honestly commit himself to her, bind himself to her for the rest of their lives, was it not logical to do so without past shackles holding him back? Whether he was aware of them or not? Sharon was right. He was allowed to let go of past mistakes. Especially since he had learned immensely from them. He was allowed to start with a clean slate, too. And more importantly, he _wanted_ to start with it.

There was a hint of both sarcasm and exasperation in her tone of voice, when she replied. "Well, of course I'm not. Not now that Sandra put you out of your self-imposed misery."

He shot her a slightly irritated look. "I was trying to say," he said pointedly, "that you're the only reason I'm looking forward to a _future_ now." He ended the sentence in an annoyed huff.

"Oh," she let out in surprise, deflating instantly.

"Yeah," he said gruffly and shot her another look, although this time a slight smile was playing at his lips. "'Oh'," he repeated pointedly.

She reached out a hand and tapped it over his right one as it loosely held the steering wheel. He looked at it for a second, but let go of the wheel so that she could put her hand on top of his and lace their fingers together. He knew she was going through the motions at a deliberate place in order to make proper sense of what he just said, so he let her. When she put their hands over the console between them, he knew she finally figured it out.

"So, we're filing for annulment."

"Well," he said, and his earlier irritation was now replaced by mischievousness, "my ex-wife apparently is." He slanted his future wife a quick look over a raised eyebrow. "And it'd be kinda nice if you would, too." He smirked. "I'd hate to go through all this trouble now for nothing."

She snorted. "Yes," she said, squeezing his hand, "that would be nice."

That reminded him of what she had said earlier. "You said you wanted to avoid the past." When he registered her nodding, chancing another glance at her, he added, "And now you don't?"

She sighed. "I just wasn't looking forward to having to deal with Jack again." She waved a hand through the air. "You know how he is."

He nodded, because yes, he knew very well how Jack was. "So what changed your mind?" he asked, throwing her another glance.

"I didn't exactly _change_ my mind," she told him, her head tilting to a side. "Ricky and Emily," she rolled her eyes, "simply helped me to finally, actually _set_ my mind on it." On a shrug, she added, "Got their father to agree to it as well."

Andy's eyes went wide and he threw her a surprised look. "Jack already knows?"

She smiled. "They got him to write a letter of approval, too."

He frowned. "And you still thought you shouldn't bring it up?"

She took a breath, a clear sign that she was going on both the defensive and offensive. "It's _my_ marriage to annul, Andy," she said pointedly. "Besides," she went on more softly, "I haven't officially asked for an annulment yet."

He tilted his head, considering that. She had a point. It was probably also why neither one of them had mentioned this annulment business until their hand was forced. Therefore, deciding to let that go, he said, "So bottom line is, thanks to our meddling children, we are now going through with annulling our marriages."

She laughed in disbelief. "It would seem so."

He laughed as well. "You know, my ego is having the time of its life right now."

She shot him a puzzled look at the sudden change in topic.

He continued laughing but looked at her as he stopped the car at another red light. "I think your kids might like me even more than you do."

She smiled brightly. "Well, I don't mind, because _I_ happen to _love_ you," she told him cheekily.

He chuckled and looked at her to give her a silly smile and returned the sentiment, but sobered quickly when he noticed the sad shadow that unexpectedly crossed her features. "What?" he asked worriedly.

"They've seen so much more than I ever wanted them to," she said regretfully, looking at their joined hands and starting to gently rub a thumb over the side of his hand. "But I don't think they ever saw me truly unhappy," she said, shaking her head. "Not that I ever really was." She looked up at him and her bright smile returned in full force and she sounded almost giddy as she added, "How could I be with those two bundles of joy around?" Her voice turned more wistful again when she finished with a, "But I'm not sure they've ever seen me this happy either."

He squeezed her hand as he shifted gears and got the car moving, since the light switched to green again. He shot her a smug grin. "I make you happy, huh?" he asked, hoping to pull her out of her sudden funk.

She let go of his hand, only to smack him playfully over the side of his arm, and he grinned, satisfied with his accomplishment. "Well, maybe not right now," she said, a hint of warning to the words, "but yes," she nodded, her lips curling into a gentle smile, "generally, you make me _very_ happy," she confirmed gladly.

"See," he bobbed an eyebrow up and down, "my ego's having the time of its life."

She pursed her lips, but her amusement curled them into another smile anyway.

More seriously, however he spoke again before she could. "You deserve to be happy, Sharon."

She joined their hands again. "It's what Ricky keeps telling me, too," she said on a sigh that did not necessarily mean she disagreed with either one of them. "As do you," she added pointedly, returning her focus to the window.

He smiled, then tugged on her hand. When he got her attention again, he said, "We're still mad at Ricky and Rusty for meddling though, right?"

"Oh," her voice went dangerously low. "Livid," she confirmed. "And Nicole, too," she added.

He nodded in agreement, chuckling. "Any punishment ideas?"

He didn't even have to look at her to know there was a devious smile on her face when, still in that low, dangerous timbre of hers, she said, "Plenty."

* * *

 ** _I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Could something along these lines have crossed Andy's (and Sharon's) mind?_**


	28. 5x18c

_**A few things before you start reading this long chapter.**_

 _ **Firstly, I don't know what I loved more about the last add-on, your thoughts on it or your opinions on Andy and his apparent obliviousness. Your response was amazing.**_

 _ **Secondly, this chapter deals with those punishments I mentioned in my previous chapter. I played a bit with the format. Present moments vs. flashbacks. It's generally a rather silly add-on, and I hope you'll have fun reading it even if it dissolves into ridiculousness.**_

 _ **And lastly, but no less importantly, a huge thank you to MajorCFan! I had a bit of trouble with this chapter and she was a great help in motivating me and nudging me in this or that direction. So if you end up enjoying this chapter, you should definitely thank her because I nearly just scrapped this thing and gave up on it completely. XD**_

 _ **Anyways, as always, give it a read and do tell me what you think. :)**_

* * *

"'Captain' does not do you justice, my dear," Andy said, walking out of the bathroom in a plain t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms, a happy grin on his face as he approached the bed.

Sharon stood in her nightgown at the foot of their bed, rubbing lotion into her hands as she watched him sprawl deliberately across the middle of their bed. "Oh," she hummed happily, "I think 'Lieutenant' might be selling you short, too," she quipped, rounding the bed to join him on her side.

He lifted his head from between the pillows where he had let it flop down on, and looked at her, an expression of both amusement and concern on his face now. "You think they learned their lesson?"

She pushed his arm gently to his side. "Scoot," she ordered playfully. When he did, she pulled her side of the covers up and threw them over him. Ignoring his ensuing grunt, she finally answered. "They'll stop butting in, I think, yes."

He rolled off the bed, taking her hint to uncover his side of the bed as well and, joining her under the covers, shrugged over a thoughtful hum before mumbling, "You mean they'll _try_ to stop."

She laughed in response. "And when they don't, you can always keep them fit in punishment."

They had spent the rest of their car ride home earlier figuring out how to get back at the boys for sticking their noses in other people's business. They settled on just one simple, easy approach. However, another little revenge opportunity unexpectedly presented itself entirely on its own.

* * *

 _They had lost Ricky in traffic along the way and Rusty was running behind anyway since he was set to pick up dinner. So when Andy and Sharon arrived at the condo complex, they made their way inside alone. As they stepped into the building, they ran into the building manager._

 _Andy ushered Sharon toward the elevators by giving her back a gentle push, but eyed the man standing near the doors. "Go ahead, I'll be right with you," he told her, already on his way over to him._

 _She shot him an inquisitive look, but seeing his excited mannerisms, knew better than to ask, or stop him from whatever he was up to. So she heeded his request and waited for him by the elevator watching him exchange a few hushed words with the manager. She raised a slightly unimpressed eyebrow when she saw Andy slip the man a few bills before patting him on the shoulder in apparent thanks and making his way back to her._

 _It was still raised when he joined her and they walked into the elevator._

 _He smiled smugly and, in response to her unvoiced question, said, "Hopefully, you'll find out in a few minutes."_

 _She pursed her lips, displeased, but prodded no more._

 _A good fifteen minutes later, the door to the condo opened. Andy and Sharon had already made themselves comfortable on the couch. Sharon had slipped into some more casual clothes and Andy had discarded his jacket, loosened his tie and bunched up his sleeves._

 _"Phew," Ricky said, panting slightly. Behind him, bags of take out in hands, Rusty entered, out of breath as well; they must have caught up with each other in the garage. "Did you guys survive the stairs?" he asked, slipping off his jacket._

 _Sharon shot Andy a wide-eyed look as realization hit her, and, briefly, she had to hide her face in his arm for fear of breaking out into full laughter. He merely shrugged, managing to keep a straight face without any difficulty. "Stairs?" he asked, feigning confusion. "The elevator down?" he added, shooting Sharon an apparently surprised look. "It was working fine when we got here."_

 _Rusty walked through the living room in a huff. "Apparently," he muttered. "Manager was down, told us to take the stairs."_

 _Ricky shrugged, and flopped into the closest chair next to the couch. "I offered to take a look at it, I mean, there were no warning lights or anything, but," he shrugged again._

 _He was still out of breath a bit, and in slight concern, Sharon leaned over to tap his knee. "You okay, honey?" When Andy behind her coughed quietly, she had to fight to keep a straight face, even if she was a bit worried about her heavily breathing son._

 _"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Ricky waved her off. "I should probably hit the gym more often though," he added on a chuckle._

 _Rusty walked back into the room and catching Ricky's words, he shot Andy an amused look. "Maybe the stairs would be good exercise for you," he told him teasingly. "By the way," he hooked a thumb behind him before Andy could answer, "food's that way."_

 _Ricky grinned at his brother's jab, but getting to his feet and holding a hand out for Sharon to get up as well, Andy shot Rusty a pointed look._

 _"I can handle a few flights of stairs just fine," he told him, then made his point by throwing Sharon a sideways smirk and mumbling, "if you know what I mean."_

 _Both Rusty and Sharon shot him horrified looks, for completely different reasons though, but Ricky just laughed, and walking past his future step-father and mother, patted the older man over the back of his shoulder and said, "Gross, Andy," he feigned a shudder, "but good to know you've recovered nicely."_

 _At that Rusty just straight out groaned and promptly turned around and headed toward their food, letting Ricky trail behind him._

 _Sharon took the brief quiet moment to tug on Andy's hand to get them moving along. "I'll have to thank the manager," she said, amused, "but about_ that _," she poked a finger into the side of his arm, making him grunt, "we'll talk later," she warned._

 _Andy just smirked and gladly followed her renewed tug._

* * *

Andy grinned and sank deeper into the pillows. "Best spent 20 bucks in a while," he said, self-satisfied.

She chuckled and snuggled into his side. "How did you know nobody else would be using the elevator? Or be coming out of it just then?"

He shrugged. "I didn't. For 20 bucks, I couldn't exactly get the manager to shut the entire elevator down." She attempted to lift her head, possibly to offer him an unimpressed glare, but he wrapped his arms around her and held her still while quickly adding, "Besides, I guessed my fiancée wouldn't be too thrilled by me pranking the whole building." He snickered. "So I just settled on using him as a live 'traffic diversion' sign."

"And hoped for the best?" she added, laughing quietly.

"Yup," he quipped.

She let out a sound that verged on a giggle and, amused, he looked at the top of her head that was nestled in the crook of his shoulder. "What?"

"I'm marrying an adult-sized child," she mumbled mirthfully.

He wiggled his shoulder until she lifted her head and then he shifted to give her an unimpressed look. "As opposed to whom I'm marrying?"

She smiled almost deviously, but blandly said, "You," she paused, "are marrying a mother."

He flopped his head back into his pillow and burst out laughing. "A meddling one."

* * *

 _"So, Rusty," Sharon, seated at the head of the dining table with Andy to her right, said once they started on dinner, "how is Gus?" Her tone of voice was melodic and, had Andy not known the real agenda behind her line of inquiry, he would have thought she was only making small talk._

 _"Uh," Rusty gave her a surprised look, "he's good." He shrugged. "Working."_

 _"Mhm," she said, taking a moment to chew on her mouthful of food. "How are_ you _and Gus?" she then asked. At this question, Andy hid a smirk behind a mouthful of his own food._

 _Rusty shot Ricky, who was sitting to his right, left of his mother, a quick look, not exactly comfortable with the question being asked in front of him. "Good, I guess," he finally said, a faint crease forming between his brows as he momentarily met his mother's gaze._

 _"He still okay with you not moving in with him?" Andy chipped in. With the way he posed the question, he might as well have been asking about the current weather._

 _Ricky perked up at that particular information and raised an eyebrow at his adopted brother. Apparently, Rusty had so far discussed this only with Gus, Sharon and Andy._

 _Sharon hid an amused smile behind a sip of water when Rusty stammered, glancing over at Ricky again, "Um, yes, yeah," he shrugged, "he's okay with it."_

 _"Mhm," Sharon hummed. "Are you sure?" she asked in apparent concern. "I can talk to him, you know," she offered._

 _Before Rusty could do much more than drop his jaw at her uncharacteristic suggestion, Ricky interjected._

 _"Gus?" he looked in between his mother and brother. "As in Gus – your boyfriend?" It was a rhetorical question. "He asked you to move in with him?"_

 _Rusty still stared at Sharon in shock, but reluctantly nodded at Ricky's question._

 _Ricky gave his mother a wide-eyed look, but she offered no response. "And you said no?" he asked Rusty._

 _Only Andy noticed Sharon wince, fractionally though. While she was more than willing to make Rusty squirm a bit, he knew she wasn't aiming to completely put him out like this. However, she did not intervene either, so he guessed that maybe for now she was willing to see how this would play out._

 _Again, reluctantly, Rusty nodded in answer to his brother's question._

 _Ricky's look turned devious and Andy nearly choked on his water when he realized just how reminiscent of Sharon the expression was. Rusty must have seen the similarity as well, for that seemed to snap him out of his earlier shock and he quite literally braced himself for whatever Ricky would say next by gripping the edge of the table._

 _"Oh," Ricky nudged Rusty's shoulder, "baby brother's afraid to leave our mom's comfy nest." He smirked at his mother. "You spoiled him," he deadpanned._

 _Sharon had clearly not expected that conclusion and let out a bark of laughter before she could catch herself. Andy did, too._

 _"What?" Offended, Rusty shot both Andy and Sharon an indignant look, but then properly turned his attention to the man to his right and added, "I'm not afraid of anything! I jus-" He shook his head suddenly, and Andy knew even before he spoke again, that he would now go on the offensive. "What's it to you? Care to tell us about_ your _girlfriend?" In mocking imitation, he nudged Ricky's shoulder and added, "Unless you don't even have one?"_

 _Sharon was glad the boys were focused on each other or else they would have noticed her amused smile when Ricky suddenly seemed flustered. He recovered quickly though and said, "So you admit it that you're spoiled?"_

 _Rusty scoffed and didn't even dignify that with an answer. Not that he would have had the chance, for Sharon suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity to make her other son squirm as well and interjected._

 _She had to bite her inner cheek to keep from laughing as she said, "Rusty has a point, honey." She smiled sweetly. "We haven't talked about your love life in a while. Do tell."_

 _Ricky frowned, looking between Andy and Rusty. The younger of the two was now openly smirking, and, satisfied with getting the heat off his back, returned to his food. Andy just gave Ricky an expectant look._

 _"I can catch you up later, mom," he finally said, shooting her a pointed look that added, "in private."_

 _Only Sharon wasn't in the mood for private. Not after the evening's earlier developments. "No need," she said, then waved a hand at their company. "We would all love to hear if you had any news."_

 _"Well, there is no news," Ricky said curtly, dropping his gaze to his plate._

 _Rusty, basking in the opportunity to get back at his brother, said, "That sounds like you have some news, Ricky."_

 _Ricky shot him an angry look, but Andy chipped in with a quip of his own first. "Rather serious news." When Sharon raised an amused eyebrow at him, he had to look down at his plate to refrain from grinning at her._

 _"Oh, nothing's wrong, is it?" Sharon suddenly asked, feigning concern._

 _"What?" Ricky frowned. "No, mom," he shook his head, "there's nothing wrong."_

 _"You know, if it's something really bad," Andy started jokingly, "we can help hide the bodies."_

 _Sharon snorted and Rusty started laughing, but Ricky suddenly glared at them suspiciously. "What's with the third degree, guys?" He pinned his mother with an incredulous look. "You know I'd tell you if something was up, mom."_

 _Sharon smiled, because, yes, he would. However, somewhat pointedly she simply said, "As would I."_

 _"Or I," Andy added just as pointedly._

 _That only put a confused frown on her son's face._

 _"Oh, my God," Rusty suddenly let out, groaning. He pinned Andy with a wide-eyed look. "You know!" His tone of voice was nothing if not accusatory._

 _Both Sharon and Andy finally dropped their acts. Andy also dropped his fork, to his plate._

 _"Well, of course I know," he grumbled. More agitated, he added, "I'm a detective, aren't I?"_

 _Ricky apparently caught up with what was really going on as well and shot his mother a glare. "So you decided to put us through an interrogation?"_

 _Sharon smirked, then shrugged. "I'm a detective, too," she said simply._

 _"Besides," Andy said, suddenly calm as he went back to his dinner, "this was a demonstration."_

 _"Of what?" Ricky asked, stabbing his fork into his food in annoyance. "Trying to meddle?" he suggested sarcastically._

 _"Exactly," Sharon said pointedly, letting go of her cutlery to fold her hands neatly on top of the table._

 _Ricky gave her an indignant look, but both Andy and Sharon waited patiently for him to say something. Actually, the look she was meeting her son's with said he had better start talking, or he had another thing coming for him._

 _"We were not trying to meddle," he finally said defensively. "We were trying to help," he added resolutely._

 _Sharon narrowed her eyes at him. "You were not meddling?" she asked, the words dripping with sarcasm. "Let me see," she looked at Andy who propped his chin on a hand and just nodded in support, "you've discussed this with Emily," she told Ricky, and he just shrugged, not bugged by that at all. "You've already involved your father in this," Sharon went on, and now he actually nodded proudly. "And you've roped Rusty into it," she offered her other son a cursory glance._

 _At that, the two boys looked at each other._

 _"And," Andy pointedly said, finally adding to the list himself, "you've discussed this with my daughter," he all but glowered at the two young men seated in front of him, "who in turn involved my ex-wife in this."_

 _They were both surprised when it was Rusty who suddenly went on the defensive. "What's the big deal, mom?" He waved a hand at her and her fiancé. "You both want this, don't you?"_

 _"Well, while we are happy with how things turned out," Sharon said, throwing Andy a quick smile, "your help," she put air quotation marks around the last word and looked pointedly at Ricky, "still essentially qualifies as meddling."_

 _"Something that, from what I've heard," Andy looked at Sharon, "your mother all but ordered you not to do."_

 _Ricky gave up on his dinner and shot Sharon a bland look. "So this," he waved a hand around the table, "is your idea of punishment? Meddling yourself now?"_

 _Sharon shrugged, amused. "What's the big deal?" she asked mockingly, her gaze on Rusty._

 _Andy couldn't help but snicker._

 _Rusty frowned. "Your brand of meddling just wanted to have a talk with my boyfriend. I think that's a pretty big deal, mom."_

 _She hummed and raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes," she agreed slowly, "that does sound," she exchanged an amused look with Andy, who smirked, "like a big deal, doesn't it?"_

 _Ricky huffed. "Fine, we meddled," he finally admitted, rolling his eyes. "And what you're saying is," he was speaking slowly and reluctantly, "that if we don't want you to meddle, too, we better stop as well."_

 _Andy nodded and Sharon grinned, saying, "That is precisely what I'm saying."_

 _He narrowed his eyes at her. "You do know that's not fair, right?"_

 _Both Andy and Sharon looked surprised, and she even raised an eyebrow before asking, "How so?"_

 _He groaned and gave her an incredulous look. "Mom, you always meddle!" Andy started chuckling, but Sharon shot him a look that quickly shut him up. Ricky however, turned his attention to Rusty, clearly seeking support. "Tell me, is there one," he held up a single digit, "thing mom_ doesn't _know about you?"_

 _Sharon shifted in her chair and patiently waited for Rusty to come up with an answer._

 _Finally, not meeting her eyes, he said, "Not really." He sounded rather surprised._

 _"See!" Ricky immediately pounced._

 _Sharon pursed her lips and pushed her hair back. "Okay," she acknowledged his argument. "Now, you tell me," she addressed the both of them, "when was the last time I told you what to do? Or," she raised an eyebrow and Andy chuckled again, but this time she did not try to shut him up, "did something that concerned_ you _," she paused for effect, "behind your back?"_

 _Ricky and Rusty exchanged a look. After a brief, silent deliberation, Ricky let out a defeated, "Oh."_

 _Rusty elaborated on his brother's eloquent answer though. "We still usually end up doing what you want," he said on an eye roll, and Sharon smiled, "but yeah, you usually also let us make our own decisions."_

 _"And?" she prodded._

 _Ricky rolled his eyes again. "And that's exactly what we did not let you do today," he said, looking at Andy._

 _Sharon gave Andy a self-satisfied smile and went back to her dinner. Before bringing her fork to her mouth though, she asked, "So do you see what point I'm," she waved her free hand at Andy and corrected herself, "_ we _are trying to make here?"_

 _Andy tilted his head. "Or do we have to spell it out for you?"_

 _Ricky, despite seeing the point only too well now, just glared at them defiantly, but, while he did so begrudgingly, Rusty at least muttered, "Advice, yes. Meddling, no."_

 _Both Andy and Sharon chuckled at that, but nodded. That really was the gist of it._

 _They were about to fall back into a quiet dinner when Ricky suddenly spoke up, bringing up the topic again._

 _"You should know though, mom," his voice went suspiciously high, "that this was all my brother's idea."_

 _Rusty's eyes went wide and he pinned him with an incredulous look. "Really?" He waved a hand at him. "You're the one who wanted to just barge in there today and order Andy to get an annulment!"_

 _Ricky promptly shut his mouth and then both him and Rusty looked over at Sharon and Andy when they burst out laughing._

 _"Order? Me?" Andy managed, unimpressed._

 _Sharon however scolded her oldest son. "You will not lay the blame on Rusty, mister!"_

 _With that they started laughing again._

 _Rusty and Ricky exchanged frowns._

 _"You live with them," Ricky said quietly. "What is this?" he asked, waving a hand at the laughing duo._

 _Rusty groaned. "Just ignore it." He leaned in toward Ricky conspiratorially. "We're being let off the hook, I think."_

 _"I heard that," Sharon said, finally sobering somewhat._

 _Andy grew more serious as well. "But," he shot Sharon an amused look, "I guess you are."_

 _Both Ricky and Rusty grinned, but wiped the grins off their faces fairly quickly when their mother shot them a look that said, "As long as this doesn't happen again."_

 _"Besides," Andy smirked, "we can't really be mad at you, when I'll, hopefully, soon be able to do this," he leaned to the left and surprised Sharon by planting his lips on hers, "without the devil hanging over our heads," he finished when he pulled back._

 _Initially all of them, sans Andy, looked horrified, but then Sharon promptly dissolved into snorts, Ricky started laughing with a "Still gross," on his lips, while Rusty just hid his face in his palms and shook his head._

 _"Metaphorically speaking of course," Andy added and grinned when Rusty shot him a disgusted look and said, "Really, Lieutenant?"_

 _Sharon smacked a napkin over Andy's arm._

 _"What?" he said defensively. "You thought I'd only have them climb a few stairs?"_

 _Both Rusty and Ricky instantly pulled themselves together. "You what?" they asked in shocked unison._

* * *

"Did you really have to gross them out like that though?" Sharon asked, her head still up as she looked at him.

Andy played dumb. "What? I only kissed you once. I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?" And to prove his point he lifted his head to do just that.

She tried to purse her lips in displeasure, but a smile got the better of her. "I was talking about the commentary," she said pointedly, not that it needed pointing out.

Andy grinned and, unconcerned, let his head fall back on his pillow. "They're big boys, they know what happens behind these doors."

Sharon dropped her head and snorted a laugh into his chest. "Now _that_ grosses _me_ out," she mumbled, although her voice shook with laughter.

Andy wiggled out from underneath her weight and waited for her to prop herself up on an elbow like him before shooting her an offended look. "I gross you out?" he asked. He tried his best to keep a straight face, but he barely reached the middle of his sentence when a grin spread over it.

She chuckled. "You, I adore." She pecked him on the lips, a hand patting his cheek, too, only to add in amusement, "Although, right now, I can't think of a reason w-"

Andy interrupted by kissing her again, longer this time. "Ha-ha," he said sarcastically when he pulled back.

She smiled and rolled over onto her back. She fell silent, but her smile turned almost blissful while Andy, equally silent, just watched her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he finally said.

She turned her head towards him, her smile bursting with pride. "Those big boys are brothers," she said dreamily.

A wide smile spread over his own face now. He knew how rocky a start that brotherly relationship had. "And we get to enjoy all the perks that come with it," he said in feigned exasperation. Soft laughter joined her smile as he started listing off, "Teasing," he sighed, "bickering," he rolled his eyes, "conspiring," he shook his head, "throwing each other under the bus."

"Yes," she said when he was done, her face lighting up even more. "Ricky can be a bit intense though," she added, her look returning to the ceiling. "I worried he might start asking questions Rusty's not too comfortable answering."

"Yeah, I noticed," Andy said.

"But," she looked back at him, "it didn't really matter." She smiled proudly again. "Rusty can hold his own."

Andy grinned. "He sure can." Raising an eyebrow he added, "Made your earlier job easier, too, huh?"

"Oh, he set me up perfectly, didn't he?" Sharon said merrily.

He laughed.

"So," Sharon turned back to her side suddenly, "that means two are down, one more to go."

"Hmm," Andy thought about that. "What about Emily? She pulled Jack into this as well, didn't she?"

Sharon chuckled and waved his question off. "Don't worry, I'm sure Ricky already warned her not to pull any stunts like these again."

Andy pouted. "Shame. It would've been fun making her take the stairs, too."

"She's a ballerina, Andy." Sharon smacked a few fingers over the side of his arm as if to tell him what she was about to say was obvious. "She's in tip-top shape." On a chuckle she added, "She'd probably have thanked you for the warm-up."

"Chain her to a couch then?" Andy suggested only half-jokingly.

"We are not chaining anybody to anything," Sharon said firmly, her voice slightly shaking with laughter though.

"Well," Andy let out dejectedly and turned around briefly to locate his phone on the nightstand next to the bed, "that leaves Nicole then."

They both sat up against the headboard when he found it.

"Hopefully, Rusty kept his word," Sharon said, watching with interest as Andy typed out a message to his daughter. Rusty had, of course, already let Nicole know about the annulment news, but after dinner he was instructed not to contact her until they had a little fun on her account.

Andy shrugged. "Hopefully, she's still up," he countered.

Sharon only hummed and leaned into his arm to look at his phone.

He typed out, "Nice try, Nicole. Engagement's off though." and hit send.

"How detailed," Sharon said, chuckling.

Andy just shrugged and dropped his phone into his lap. "Now we wait."

Sharon only hummed, her gaze on his phone.

After barely a minute Andy said, "I know how we can pass the time, you know." He sounded positively mischievous.

Sharon smiled and lifted her head, propping her chin against his shoulder to look at him. "Mhm, I'm sure you do."

He grinned and was just about to press his lips to hers when they heard shuffling in front of the door, quickly followed by a knock. "Mom?" It was Rusty.

Sharon offered Andy a surprised look, but said, "It's open."

"Yeah, yeah, calm down," they heard Rusty say as he pushed the door open.

"What's go-"

"Here," Rusty interrupted Andy's question, holding out his phone in front of him. A female voice emanated from it, but he quickly covered it and, shaking his head, said, "She called like 10 times within a minute."

Andy frowned, but took the phone from him. "We told you not to talk to her."

Rusty just shot the both of them a bland look, then promptly turned around to walk out of the room again. "You can keep my phone till morning," he added on his way.

When the door closed, Andy looked at Sharon in question.

"Speaker," Sharon mouthed and then scooted slightly to the side, as if worried Nicole might see her over a simple phone call.

He did as suggested. "Hey, Nicole," Andy said, doing his best to sound defeated.

He did a fairly good job, for Sharon had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

They heard Nicole groan. When she muttered, "I called Rusty for a reason," they guessed she was speaking more to herself than them, but she quickly went on. "Dad, you're still at the condo?" her voice was softer now, too.

Sharon's eyebrows went up, clearly she had no idea how to explain that, but Andy quickly thought of something. "Well, it's late and she's not a monster." He winked at Sharon who just pursed her lips. "She's letting me crash for the night. I'll figure the rest out tomorrow."

"Oh, God," Nicole let out. "You sold your house." She sounded genuinely shocked as that realization sank in. "You're welcome to stay with us, dad."

Andy had to smile at his daughter's genuine offer. "Yeah, well, I'll get back to you on that tomorrow then," he said, shrugging at Sharon.

"What happened, dad?" Nicole said in a quiet voice.

Andy threw Sharon a sideways glance. "You guys happened," he said, sounding gruff suddenly. "That's what," he added, grinning at Sharon now.

Nicole ignored his accusation and said, "But Rusty texted me earlier that it was all fine." There was hint of accusation in her own voice when she added, "You agreed to the annulment, didn't you?"

Andy let out an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I did. But Sharon wasn't too thrilled with the idea of me agreeing to it just because your mom asked." He pulled a face at Sharon when she shook her head at his blatant lie.

They heard Nicole gasp. "Wait, so what? She thinks you're pining over mom or something?" She didn't sound too impressed by that.

Andy smirked and, putting an effort into sounding dejected, said, "Can you blame her?"

"Yes, I can!" Andy was glad he wasn't holding his phone to his ear, for that sounded really loud and he grimaced. Sharon, though perked up at his daughter's words. "Jeez, dad," Sharon suppressed a chuckle at the entirely too Andy-like exclamation, "she's blind if she doesn't see she's it for you!" Andy shot Sharon a dopey smile, unintentionally confirming his daughter's next words before they even left her. "You're all dopey smiles and grins around her." Sharon, reached a hand out and ran it affectionately over Andy's arm. The smile on her face said she was clearly touched and that she shared the sentiment as well. "I worried you'd have another heart attack when you called and told me you proposed and she said yes. That's how excited you were!"

Andy sighed loudly and held up a finger for Sharon as if to say, "Watch this." and said, "Well, I might as well have one now. It's over and done, I guess."

Sharon definitely had something to see, or well, hear. Nicole's voice turned frantic. "Oh, my God, dad! Are you feeling okay? Do you need a doctor?"

She went on growing increasingly panicky so Sharon shot Andy a look that said he should calm her down. He rolled his eyes and did as ordered.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He smirked at Sharon over his next words. "I guess I just never saw this coming. And to think I actually considered annulment myself," he trailed off, fighting a laugh now.

"You did?" Nicole sounded genuinely surprised for just a moment, before she suddenly groaned. "I can't believe we messed this up for you. Dad," her voice turned pleading, "we really didn't mean for this to happen."

"I know," Andy replied. "It is what it is. I guess it was nice while it lasted."

Sharon dropped her head into her head at how convincingly broken Andy sounded.

Nicole sounded on the verge of tears. "Is it really over? Completely?" She rambled on before Andy could answer. "Come on, it's just a stupid annulment, how can she end things over a damn annulment? I mean, you'll love her the same in and out of Church, won't you?"

"I don't know, Nicole," he said to the phone although he tilted his head toward Sharon as if to say his daughter wasn't wrong about that last part. It put another smile on her face.

"Do you want me to try to talk to her?" Nicole then offered.

Sharon had to put her hand over her mouth again to keep from laughing when Andy, looking and sounding genuinely agitated now, said, "God, no! You meddling got me into this mess in the first place!"

Nicole groaned. "Oh, I can't believe this. And over an annulment." She didn't sound as if she was really talking to Andy. Suddenly, a long, strangled, frustrated noise came out of the phone followed by Nicole saying, "That _woman_!"

Andy gave his phone a wide-eyed look, not believing his ears. Thankfully, he managed not to burst out laughing.

Unfortunately, Sharon failed and not only did she laugh, but she dissolved into loud giggles.

"Sharon?" Nicole's shocked voice instantly said.

Andy rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. He couldn't really blame Sharon. It's been a while since anybody used that particularly inflected word to refer to her.

"Dad, was that Sharon?" Nicole added.

When Sharon just continued laughing, Nicole exclaimed, "Dad, that's Sharon! What's going on?"

"Hi, Nicole," Sharon finally said, her voice still shaking with laughter.

There was a pause on the other line during which Andy shot Sharon a wary look. Within another moment, the call disconnected.

Andy blinked a few times at the phone. "Huh," he let out, puzzled, "I did not see that coming."

"Oh," Sharon let out on a long sigh, leaning closer to Andy again to hide her face in his bicep. "We are awful, awful people," she mumbled into it.

Before Andy could respond, the phone went off again. "It's Nicole," he said, as surprised as Sharon when she eyed the phone.

The moment he picked up, Nicole, sounding embarrassed, said, "God, I forgot we were talking on Rusty's phone."

Andy rubbed a finger over his forehead and chuckled. "Yeah, we were."

"I was gonna ask him if you were kidding me," Nicole then said. "That _was_ Sharon, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was." It was Sharon herself who answered.

"Uh... So..." Nicole cleared her throat then and finally said, "Okay, can somebody explain to me what is going on? She sounded happy!" That last sentence left her in a tone of utter disbelief.

"You know what?" Andy said, smiling mischievously at Sharon. "I'll have Rusty fill you in on the details." She promptly laughed. That was another fitting punishment. "But suffice it to say, no, we did not break up. And this was just us paying you back for meddling."

There was a pause on the line again and Sharon gave Andy a worried look, expecting Nicole to end the call again, but then she finally said, "Us? As in you and Sharon? Payback?" Judging by the jumbled up words and sentences, she had difficulty settling on just one confusing topic.

On a laugh Andy confirmed, "Yes, payback. Sharon and me."

They heard her gasp. "It goes both ways," she said, the words barely above a whisper.

"What does?" Sharon asked, more curious than confused.

Nicole's next words weren't exactly a direct answer to her question, but upon hearing them, Sharon and Andy burst out laughing. "The Andy effect," Nicole had said.

In admonishment, she even added, "You're an awful influence, dad." There was another brief pause, but they assumed she just shook her head or something because she quickly went on to say, "I don't believe it. You lied to me just to teach me not to meddle? Unbelievable!"

"Well, she's a much quicker study than those two," Sharon muttered to Andy, tilting her head toward the bedroom door.

He laughed, but addressed Nicole. "Sorry, honey, but we couldn't just let it slide."

Nicole suddenly laughed. "So I can still look forward to a wedding?"

"Yes, Nicole," Sharon said, smiling, "you can."

Nicole laughed again, sounding relieved this time. "Well, point taken, I guess. I will keep out of your business in the future, I promise."

She sounded genuine enough so Sharon and Andy silently decided not to push the matter further. "Thank you," Sharon told her.

"Oh, my God, Sharon!" Nicole suddenly exclaimed and Sharon gave Andy a wide-eyed look. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I just-"

Sharon waved a hand at the phone, not that Nicole could see it. "It's alright, Nicole," she interrupted her. "And don't worry," she smiled at Andy, "your dad's it for me as well."

That seemed to calm the woman down again. "Good, I'm happy for you both," she told them.

"Thanks, Nicole," Andy said, pressing a kiss to Sharon's cheek.

"Can I now talk to Rusty?" Nicole asked. "I'd like to bite his head off if you don't mind."

Sharon laughed, but Andy immediately got out of the bed. "Sure, just a second," he said on his way out of the room.

Sharon wasn't laughing anymore when he got back, but she was wearing an amused smile.

"The Andy effect," Andy said smugly as he crawled into bed next to her. She was still sitting, so he sat back against the headboard again as well.

"She's right," Sharon said, shaking her head. "You're a terrible influence. I can't believe I agreed to this."

"Admit it." Andy smirked. "You loved every second of it."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Never."

Andy chuckled, then indicated at Rusty in the next room with the tilt of his head. "This couldn't have played out better."

Sharon just nodded in amusement. He wrapped an arm around her and together they continued basking in their little accomplishment in silence. Neither one of them made a move to actually lie down and try to sleep now.

"That _woman_ ," Sharon suddenly repeated, starting to laugh again.

Andy joined her in her laughter. "I happen to be marrying that _woman_ ," he said happily.

"Mhm." Sharon leaned into his side. "That woman still feels a bit guilty over what just happened."

Andy shifted so he could face her. "She'll get over it," he quipped and kissed her.

Although she initially responded to the kiss, suddenly she pulled back, a mischievous smile on her lips when Andy frowned.

"There is one more thing I wanted to discuss with you."

His frown became puzzled. "What on earth is there left to discuss?"

Sharon quirked an eyebrow at him. "It involves you climbing stairs."

"Oh, that," he said on a laugh.

"Yes that," she confirmed, poking a finger into the middle of his chest.

He looked at it when she kept pointing it at him. "Well, I'm not sure how I feel about discussing that," he said, slowly looking up, one of his own eyebrows raised now. "But I'm all for demonstrating it."

She tried to keep a straight face. She really did. But her serious façade, along with her earlier resolve, crumbled the moment Andy offered her a crooked smile so she grabbed him by his t-shirt and pulled him to her. She only muttered, "Terrible influence," before more than eagerly starting Andy's offered demonstration.


	29. 5x19a

_**Again, I just gotta thank you for your lovely reviews. I love making people laugh and it was wonderful hearing from you that I managed to do exactly that with my previous chapter! So thank you, guys!**_

 _ **Here are just two short, simple scenes I wish were squeezed in somewhere in episode 19. One involves Howard and Sharon, because I so wish we got to see more of them, especially with this Stroh and chief business. It's set after that scene with Morales. And the other one involves Provenza and Andy for the simple reason of still feeling incredibly Proflynnza deprived. Takes place after the end of the episode. They are really brief moments, but I hope you'll like them anyway. :)**_

 _ **I'm working on one more add-on about Sharon and Andy. But that's still a work in progress so I decided to just go ahead and post these two until I'm done with that one.**_

 _ **Have fun and as always, your thoughts on these are much appreciated!**_

* * *

One

"Uh, Captain?" Howard said, his eyes flickering from Sharon to Andy who held the door open for her. Julio and Morales had already gone ahead and left his office. When she turned around, raising an eyebrow at him, he went on, his gaze returning to her again, "A word please?"

Surprise briefly crossed her features, while Andy frowned, but she immediately said, "Of course, Chief," and stepped back fully into his office.

Andy lingered for a moment, but when she briefly closed her eyes and just barely shook her head at him, he threw a nod Howard's way and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Howard walked back to his desk, saying, "Not sure this is the right moment to bring it up." Sharon followed him and stopped to fold her arms just short of his desk. She gave him a patient, expectant look and waited while he rummaged through one of his desk drawers. Once he found whatever folder he had been looking for, he looked up at her and, shrugging, said, "But I doubt there ever is a right moment for this." With that, he bent the folder a little, then reached over his desk and offered it to her.

Sharon gave him an inquisitive look, but accepted the folder and carefully opened it, its red binding already hinting at what it was that the acting Assistant Chief was bringing up. She let out a soft, "Hmm," as she quickly scanned the newest addition to it.

"I hate to say it," Howard started, taking a seat behind his desk, "but these leads are getting thicker and thicker."

She closed the folder abruptly and looked up at him, either having read enough or having decided to read the rest later. "You're worried," she said simply.

He waved a hand, gesturing at a chair in front of his desk, and, as she accepted his silent invitation, asked, "Aren't you?"

She took a breath, her eyes dropping momentarily to the folder now sitting in her lap. When she looked up again she offered him a bitter smile. "When am I not?"

Howard leaned back in his seat, swaying the chair sideways a bit. "I don't like it, Captain. I don't believe in coincidences." He shook his head. "And if these aren't coincidences, then I'm more than just worried."

"When it comes to Phillip Stroh," she ran a finger over the edge of the folder, "yes, it is certainly hard to believe in coincidences."

Howard gave her a long look. He decided she either had nothing more to tell him or did not know _what_ to tell him, so he said, "Just wanted to keep you updated."

She nodded, getting to her feet. "Thank you." She waved the folder through the air. "May I, uh-"

He waved a hand at her, nodding as well. "Keep it."

Again she nodded, then turned around ready to get back to the more pressing task at hand. He was already returning to his own pile of work, when, having reached the door, she hesitated instead of opening it and turned around to face him again.

"Things are heating up," she told him.

Surprised by the words, he looked up, but the moment he was met with her knowing look, he sighed, recognizing what 'things' she was referring to. "You think?" he said sarcastically.

She laughed before he could even register how rude that may have come across. "I may have picked up on a hint or two," she said on a bit of a smirk.

He chuckled. "Sorry about that," he said honestly.

He was about to say more, but she waved his apology off. "Nothing to apologize for, everyone's on edge, Chief." She shrugged. "Really, it's understandable."

Howard looked around his office. "This can be such a pain in," he did not finish that sentence, but shook his head instead. "But if Winnie gets it," he again left the sentence open ended, this time tilting his head as he gave her a knowing look.

"Yes, if Winnie Davis gets it," Sharon said, nodding absentmindedly as she looked around as well, "we're screwed," she deadpanned although it wasn't really a joke.

He laughed. "That we are."

Sharon smiled in amusement, then reached for the door again. "Don't let it get in the way of doing your job, Chief." She opened the door and quirked an eyebrow at him. "She's not running this office yet."

He half-smiled, half-scoffed. "Right back at ya, Captain."

Again she smiled. "I'll let you know how the warrant turns out."

With that she stepped out and closed the door.

She did not, however, walk toward the murder room right away. Through the blinds he saw her stop for a moment first. Her shoulders rose then lowered, probably as she took a breath. After another fractional moment of hesitation she finally walked away.

Howard shook his head in similar worry, then returned to work. Nothing they could do about it.

Yet.

* * *

The Other One

When he closed the door to Sharon's office, his partner turned in his chair, crossed his ankles and arms and shot him a smug, amused look.

"What?" Provenza barked, stopping to glare at Andy instead of walking back to his desk.

Andy grinned. "Hi, _Louie_ ," he mocked.

Provenza rolled his eyes and threw his head back briefly, probably asking the heavens for patience. Not finding any apparently, he instead, irritated, asked, "How the hell do you know about that?"

Andy just chuckled. "Does it matter?" He shrugged. "She does outrank you. She's allowed to call you that, isn't she?" he added, holding back a laugh.

Actually, he had caught up with Sharon quickly just as she left her office. He had only wanted to wish her good luck with her interview, but he couldn't help but inquire about the hug he caught a glimpse of through the blinds of her office or about the fact that, after that, she made it out of her office alive. She had only said, "Oh, Louie and I had a little pep talk," but that was enough to know she had done the unthinkable and had not only hugged the old man but had also dropped his rank.

After that, Andy spent a good five minutes waiting for his partner to stop staring out of her office window.

Provenza did not dignify his little jab with a retort. Instead, he just narrowed his eyes at him and huffed in annoyance.

Andy tilted his head toward his partner's desk and, changing the topic, asked, "What was that all about?" Rather convincingly he imitated, "Better late than never."

To Andy's surprise, for he had expected Provenza to just shrug it off and walk toward his desk, he leaned against Sharon's office door and sighed. "I wasn't so sure about the never part anymore."

Andy's brow furrowed. "You wanna retire?" There was nothing but utter disbelief in his words.

Provenza shot him a bland look. "Of course, I don't _want_ to retire!" He spoke somewhat heatedly, but went on almost wistfully as he looked around the murder room, where their team members were oblivious to their conversation. "But I do wonder if it's worth the trouble anymore."

Andy nodded slowly as he considered his partner's words. He could understand him. He didn't like the current trouble either. Especially if he topped it with still not knowing whether he'd ever be reinstated to full duty. Change, both good and bad, was looming over all of their heads and change was something that never sat well with Provenza. So it wasn't really surprising that he would consider escaping it altogether.

"Did the hug help?" he asked and smirked when Provenza laughed.

"Not sure yet. I am still in shock." The last word left him over a wide-eyed look of disbelief.

"Well," Andy said, chuckling as he got to his feet, "at least wait how it all turns out before you throw in the towel." With that he started walking toward the break room.

Provenza frowned and nearly hollered after him. "Wait." When Andy stopped and turned around, he waved a hand in the air and asked, "You are not even going to try talking me out of it?"

Andy smiled, shooting Sharon's desk a quick look. "I think somebody beat me to it." He ended his sentence by smugly quirking an eyebrow at him.

Provenza sighed and rolled his eyes. Not even gracing Andy with another look, he pushed off the door and started walking back to his desk.

Andy laughed and went on his merry way when he heard him groan and mutter, to no one in particular, "Ye Gods. And they're getting married, too."


	30. 5x19b

**_Here's a somewhat silly piece that, for a second, turned a bit serious before I made it silly again. I guess, along the way, I got reminded how annoyed I am by the little to no mention of Andy's heart attack..._**

 ** _Anyway, this takes place after dinner with Provenza and Patrice._**

 ** _I hope you have fun reading it! :)_**

* * *

"Wow, he was grumpier than usually," Andy told Sharon once he closed the door behind Provenza and Patrice.

They were more or less alone now. Rusty had barricaded himself in his room soon after Provenza had joined them after his little search for fresh air and, after mostly Patrice chipped in on wedding invitation options, the duo took their leave.

Sharon laughed, walking toward the kitchen to clear the bit of a mess they've left behind on the dining table. "You're only saying that because he badmouthed your cake," she teased as he traipsed through the condo after her.

"Sure," Andy muttered sarcastically. "Speaking of cake," he added, stopping in front of the dining table to eye the cake in question. His piece still stood on a plate, untouched. "I should watch myself around you," he smirked when Sharon looked at him in question, "or your sense of occasion might just starve me to death."

A strange look crossed her features, but then she chuckled softly, watching him for a moment as he sat down at the table. "I believe it was your partner who stole your attention, not my sense of occasion," she said pointedly, reaching over the table to collect the plates no longer in use.

"Technically, it's your sense of occasion that brought him here so it's still your fault," Andy said, pointing a finger at her over a smug grin, clearly satisfied with his quickly uncovered logic.

Actually, upon returning from the balcony, Provenza had quite matter-of-factly announced that if he was going to suffer through looking over wedding invitations (something he had barely done for his own wedding), he might as well be doing it in the comfort of the living room couch. With that he had flopped down on the couch and waited pointedly for the rest of them to join him. Andy had been just about to finally give his guilt-free cake a taste when his partner's announcement had come but, immediately getting irritated, he had instead made an attempt to give him a piece of his mind and, if necessary, quite literally drag him back to the dining table. However, Sharon, quite enthusiastically, agreed to Provenza's 'suggestion' and shot Andy a look that said "Be nice." With that, his appetite had plummeted and he had begrudgingly joined their guests in the living room, forgetting all about his precious cake.

Sharon's reaction to his logic came in the form of a mock glare. "Eat your cake," she instructed, then graciously walked into the kitchen, carrying a stack of plates and a couple of wine glasses.

"Yes, Ma'am," Andy said enthusiastically, rubbing his palms against each other over the plate, eager to give his little culinary experiment a taste.

The bite of cake that was already on his fork, left over from earlier, he scraped over the plate's edge before scooping a fresher mouthful onto it. He gave the scoop a whiff. It smelled rather deliciously so without further ado he brought the fork to his mouth.

The moment he bit into the cake his enthusiasm, however evaporated. He wasn't sure if it was really possible, but the moment its taste spilled into his mouth, and more importantly over his tongue, he felt as if his taste buds shrunk and shriveled up in response. It tasted bland, yet bitter. And the texture of whatever mixture he baked into this semblance of a cake left behind a grainy, mouth-drying aftertaste once he forced the mouthful down his throat.

He shot Sharon a wide-eyed, horrified look. "Jesus, Sharon, you ate an entire piece!"

She had her back turned to him, loading the plates and glasses into the dishwasher. When she turned around to look at him she wore a sympathetic grimace.

"I did not have the heart to tell you," she told him on a shoulder shrug.

Andy frowned, looking at the offensive piece of fake dessert in front of him in disgust for a moment. When he looked back at her she was standing there just looking at him, clearly suppressing an amused smile, so he said, dead serious, "Provenza's right, it's not too late to call this entire thing off."

And just like that she did not only start smiling but she burst out laughing, too. Making her way back to the table, she teased, "Oh, I know it's not."

Andy huffed, watching with narrowed eyes as she lowered herself into her previously occupied chair. He pointed a fork at her. "Life was simpler before you and Provenza," he waved the fork to where his partner was sitting earlier tonight, "started liking each other."

She chuckled. "Which I'm sure _he_ says about the two of _us_."

Putting his fork down, Andy shrugged. "True," he grinned, "but I don't mind making _his_ life complicated."

"Mhm," she let out, chuckling.

Circling back to his earlier bewilderment, he leaned forward in his chair and, giving her a both shocked and impressed look, said, "I can't believe you ate this piece of crap." He rubbed a hand over his face and groaned. "And Patrice, too!"

Sharon laughed and sobered, putting a hand over his forearm on top of the table to give him a genuine look of disbelief. "I think she might have actually liked it!"

Andy shook his head, looking in confusion across from the table as if Patrice was still sitting there. "No way," he said in a low voice, giving his cake an affronted look. "This is," his voice went up again, "disgusting!"

Sharon shrugged. "She asked for the recipe, Andy."

"What?" Andy's eyes went wide. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I am not," Sharon said, shaking her head. "Actually," she suddenly stood up and found his phone on the bar counter, "I promised you'd forward it to her."

"Oh," he let out, surprised. But when Sharon offered him his phone, he took it and suddenly smirked. "Provenza's gonna love this." With that he eagerly unlocked his phone to forward the link that contained the recipe.

Leaning her back against the counter, she watched him type away almost giddily and rolled her eyes at him in amusement, Andy's and Provenza's antics an only too common occurrence to her.

"Do promise not to make that," she waved a hand at the so called cake, " _thing_ again." More ominously, she went on with, "I love you, but your partner might be onto something." She smirked when Andy looked up at her at that. "This _could_ be a deal breaker."

Andy laughed and, done with his message to Patrice, put his phone down on the table and stood up. "Scout's honor," he said mockingly. Approaching her, he added, "Although next time just tell me if my baking sucks." Putting his hands on either side of her on the counter, effectively trapping her in his personal space, he smiled crookedly and added, "I'm a big boy, I can take it."

She snorted a laugh, only barely able to move a hand to cover her mouth. "Well, next time try it yourself first and I won't have to."

He shot her an offended glare. "And _poison_ myself?"

She gave him an unimpressed look. "Is that what you were trying to do?" She quirked an eyebrow teasingly. "Poison us?"

Andy snickered. "Not you." He pecked her on the lips. "Just Provenza," he clarified jokingly.

"Well," she patted his cheek in mock condescension, laughing softly, "I think you need to work on how you administer your poison then." She failed to hide the grin that spilled over her face. "You're leaving too many collateral victims in your wake."

"Hmm," he pretended to consider that. "I should switch to bullets maybe," he suggested, laughing.

She snorted again. Growing more serious though, her earlier pat on the cheek turned into a sympathetic caress and she said, "I'm sorry your heart healthy cake didn't turn out quite the way you hoped it would."

His shoulders slumped and he scoffed. "Quite the way?" he repeated incredulously. "Sharon, healthy or not, that cake alone could have given me a heart attack!"

She pursed her lips at him. She hardly ever laughed at his heart attack jokes and this was one of those times when she wouldn't. She let her hand trail down to his shoulder and down the side of his arm and said, "We'll eventually figure out something healthy we both like."

He scoffed. " _You_ don't have to like it," he straightened a bit, but kept his hands on the counter. " _You_ 're allowed to eat _whatever_ you like," he added and whatever good mood he was in a second ago now vanished.

She sighed. "Don't," she said, firmly. "You're stressing over food again." She kissed him. "We'll figure it out," she reiterated.

"I know," Andy said on a sigh of his own. "It's just that," he groaned and instead of finishing his sentence leaned his forehead against hers and sighed again.

It's just that he hated the situation he was in. And the situation that put _her_ in. He worried. She worried. While it wasn't always this prominent on their minds, not when months had passed since his heart attack, it was hard to overlook that he was still not on full duty and that they still did not exactly know whether he would ever be again. He was putting an effort into making the best of it, they both were. They were following the doctor's orders to the letter. They went about work (which, with this chief business, was even more stressful than usually) just as they always did, sans his current restrictions. It really wasn't as if his health issues had completely taken over their lives. But at times like these, when a silly cake reminded them of the efforts they were putting into getting back fully on track, they, or rather Andy, would be painfully reminded that this was not what he had expected to be happening a few months ago.

At times like these, he simply felt helpless and she couldn't fault him for getting angry or irritated with the situation. Truthfully, she rather admired him for dealing with this as well as he was. He wasn't one to just sit idly by and wait and that was precisely what it felt like they were both doing right now.

"I know," she repeated.

It was probably the sad, understanding tone of her voice that had him lift his head and say, "Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the evening by moping around now." He finished the sentence on an eye roll.

She shook her head, effectively waving his apology off. On a smile she instead said, "It was a fun evening, wasn't it?"

Andy perked up a bit at that and when he spoke, his earlier more humorous notes were back. "Yes, even if I had to put up with Provenza the entire time."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, _despite_ _that_ ," she confirmed sarcastically.

He smiled and shrugged before lightly pushing off the counter and straightening up. He tilted his head toward the table. "What do you say we finish up here and call it a night?"

"Yes, please," she agreed eagerly, pushing off the counter as well. "And get rid of that horrid cake," she added, feigning a shudder.

"Yes, Captain," he quipped and leaned in to give her a quick parting kiss.

Only, the Captain had other ideas and she grasped his face between her palms not letting it be as quick a kiss as her Lieutenant intended.

It was the sound of somebody clearing his throat that had her put her hands down and finally let go of him so that they could both turn to the source of the interruption.

It would seem that this was not the first time Rusty walked in on them like this, for he just shrugged and eyed the cake. "Oh, nice, I was hoping there was some left over." He grabbed the plate with still half of it on it and walked past them into the kitchen.

Gus had called him before they moved on to dessert earlier and, since he made a hasty retreat after his phone call instead of rejoining them at the table, he hadn't gotten a taste of Andy's cake then. Apparently, he wasn't as skeptical about its ingredients as Provenza was and was more than happy and in the mood to try it now.

"Uh, Rusty?" Sharon said, turning around to watch her son rummage through the cabinets. She wanted to advise him against eating it, but abruptly closed her mouth when Andy took a step to stand next to her and got her attention by squeezing her forearm.

"Let him try," he mouthed, his exaggerated shrug adding that he thought it would be incredibly unfair of them to take this opportunity away from Rusty.

"Yeah?" Rusty turned around, having found himself a plate.

"Uhm..." Sharon threw Andy an amused look, not as convinced as him, however that Rusty should suffer through this. Her uncertainty lasted barely a second though, and the moment her next words left her, she decided that, while she could call this a bonding opportunity, fact was that Andy was a much too terrible influence on her. "Why don't you put that away," she eyed Rusty's plate and tilted her head toward the cake-laden one, "and just grab a clean fork?"

Rusty's eyebrows shot up and he looked at the cake, fortunately missing the smug look that crossed Andy's features at her suggestion. "Uh, you sure?" He looked up. "There's a lot left over."

Sharon bit her lip to keep herself from laughing when Andy waved a hand through the air and nonchalantly said, "Yeah, sure, knock yourself out. I can always make some more."

"Cool." Rusty nodded. "Thanks," he added, already looking for a fork.

Sharon shook her head at herself, not believing she was actually participating in this.

Andy wasn't battling any guilt though and asked, "Before you disappear into your room, would you give it a taste here and tell me what you think?"

Unconcerned, having found a fork, Rusty stabbed it into the cake and said, "Sure."

She bit the inside of her cheek to refrain from laughing this time when, at the taste of the cake, Rusty failed miserably at hiding his disgusted grimace. Had it not been so funny she might have even felt proud of him for not immediately making fun of Andy and his obvious baking debacle.

"So?" Andy said expectantly. Only the fact that he folded his arms across his chest was a sign of him fighting laughter as well.

"Uh," Rusty shot Sharon a startled look, "it's, uhm," he forced himself to swallow, "interesting."

That was as much as Sharon could take and her laugh finally escaped her. And when she started laughing, of course Andy started laughing, too.

For a split second Rusty looked at them in confusion. "Come on!" he then exclaimed on a groan, pushing the plate to the far end of the counter behind him.

"Oh," Sharon was laughing still, "I am so sorry, but you were so clueless," she trailed off, burying her face in the side of Andy's arm, her laughter growing quiet but her shoulders still shaking with the force of it.

"How could you?" Rusty asked, seemingly hurt. "This is awful!" He shot Andy, who was busy laughing at Sharon's reaction now, an incredulous look. "What in the world did you put in this?" He waved a hand at the discarded cake.

He looked at Rusty and shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I am not _ever_ making that again!"

Rusty frowned. "But you'd feed it to me," he muttered in a huff.

Sharon finally looked up, having sobered somewhat. "Well, Patrice seemed to like it." She shrugged. "There was a chance you would, too."

"Patrice actually liked this?" Rusty looked horrified.

Sharon chuckled. "It would seem so, yes."

"Urgh," Rusty let out, opening and closing his mouth briefly. "What is this aftertaste?" he asked, swallowing in an attempt to get rid of it.

Andy shrugged. "Was wondering pretty much the same thing."

When Sharon laughed again, Rusty accusingly narrowed his eyes at her. "This was totally uncalled for, mom."

Sharon did not seem too fazed and shrugged. "I ate a whole piece, Rusty. That," she waved a hand at him, "was nothing in comparison."

Andy grimaced, still feeling somewhat guilty about that, but Rusty's jaw dropped and, incredulous, he asked, "You ate a whole serving?"

"Yeah. Patrice and Lieutenant Provenza were there," she looked to her side at Andy, "and I just didn't have the heart to embarrass him in front of them."

Andy rolled his eyes at her, but Rusty suddenly laughed. "The Lieutenant tried this?" Suddenly he wasn't so concerned about what the two just put him through. "Oh, I wish I could've seen his face."

"Rusty," Sharon warned while Andy just started chuckling.

"What?" Rusty said defensively. "If you can, like," he shot the both of them an offended look, " _prank_ me, I can laugh at the Lieutenant."

At that, Sharon's warning glare promptly disappeared, but it quickly reappeared and was aimed at Andy when he started laughing at her.

He ignored it though and turned his attention to Rusty. "Sorry, but you were too easy a target."

Rusty just shook his head at them. "Well, goodnight, guys," he finally said, neither accepting nor refusing the apology, and started walking out of the kitchen.

"There's some chocolate if yo-" Sharon started, but Rusty interrupted.

"No, thanks," he waved a hand through the air, "I lost my appetite."

Sharon and Andy exchanged a slightly guilty look, but watched Rusty walk past them toward his bedroom in silence.

When he suddenly muttered, "I can't believe I entered this family _willingly_ ," they instantly dissolved into laughter again.

"And I can't believe," Sharon turned to face Andy fully, crossing her arms over her chest, when Rusty reached his room, "that I'm agreeing to enter yours."

Andy shrugged, knowing she had had as much fun teasing her son as he had. "I don't know about you, but I feel much better now," he said cheerfully and walked toward the dining table to do what he intended to do before Sharon had derailed his plans a few minutes ago. "Besides, Rusty had it coming for interrupting us."

Sharon shook her head at him in amusement and joined him to help clear the table. "Maybe," she smirked, "but still, I think you're nothing but trouble, Lieutenant."

Walking into the kitchen, his plate and empty glass of water in hand, Andy said, "Well, Captain," he raised an eyebrow and looked at her over his shoulder, "isn't your job to keep me out of trouble?" He grinned and added, "Because it seems to me you're not very good at it."

Sharon suppressed a smile and followed him, having collected the rest of the glasses and napkins from the table. "Well, maybe I like your brand of trouble," she admitted.

Andy stopped, waiting for her to catch up, then bumped his shoulder against hers to quip, "You love my brand of trouble."

In response she only hummed noncommittally and went on with her task.


	31. 5x18d

_**Sending major thanks to MajorCFan for throwing a few suggestions my way and for being my beta on this. Been having immense fun bouncing ideas off her and improving my English along the way, too! :)**_

 _ **This is another add-on to 5x18 which occurred to me while I was battling insomnia the other night. It's set before and after the team brings that big guy in for questioning.**_

 _ **I just wish we'd seen something along these lines.**_

* * *

Sharon was waiting for her in her office, so when she saw her enter the empty murder room, she quickly stood and went out to meet her.

"Hi, Andrea." She waved a hand in the direction of the electronics room and, before Andrea could do much more than nod in greeting, added, "We're already set up." She waved her other hand to beckon Andrea to follow. "Lieutenant Provenza and Amy are keeping our suspect company in the interview room."

"Alright," Andrea said, starting to walk after her. "Wait," she said a second later and stopped. "What's that?" she asked, gesturing a hand toward Sharon.

Surprised, Sharon came to a halt and turned around. "What's what?" she asked, looking down her clothes as if something was out of place perhaps.

"That," Andrea said, taking an abrupt step toward Sharon to tap her left hand.

"Oh." Sharon instantly smiled. "I guess," she rolled her eyes, "the cat's out of the bag anyway, so-"

"Flynn proposed?" Andrea asked in disbelief, eyes set on the emerald cut that adorned the silver band around Sharon's left ring finger.

Sharon lifted the hand and wiggled her fingers in front of her colleague. "Yes, he did," she confirmed merrily.

Andrea gave her a sideways glance, looking impressed. Her look turned intrigued within the next instant however, and she asked, "He did not happen to pop the question some time around our last case, did he? You know," she aimed a finger at the ceiling and clarified, "that body-up-a-tree case?"

Sharon had made an attempt to continue walking toward the electronics room, but the question had her stop to turn to Andrea again. "As a matter of fact he did. The day we wrapped up the case, actually." She narrowed her eyes and, in genuine curiosity, added, "How'd you know?"

Andrea smirked. "Rusty had a hand in it, didn't he?" she asked in response. When Sharon nodded over a suspicious look, Andrea went on. "Because," she leaned in almost conspiratorially, "I heard a few hushed voices here and there that week."

Sharon shook her head, holding back an eye roll, and slowly resumed walking toward the electronics room. "Those hushed voices," she tried to sound annoyed, but amusement took over her words instead, "turned into a full blown conspiracy if you ask me."

"Did not see that coming, huh?" Andrea asked knowingly as she fell into step with Sharon.

Sharon shot her a wide-eyed look and shook her head again. "God, no."

Andrea chuckled. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, neither did I." At Sharon's in puzzlement raised eyebrow, she added, "I didn't think too much of it at the time." She tilted her head to look at Sharon pointedly. "But your son seemed rather distracted at the time," truthfully, he wasn't that distracted, but she did have to redirect his attention from his phone to work one or two times, "and your two senior Lieutenants did act a bit strange one day." She shrugged. "Now I know why."

Sharon pursed her lips, suppressing a smirk. Ignoring the Rusty mention, she said, "You mean my two senior Lieutenants acted stranger than _usual_?"

Andrea laughed, not so much at the question itself as much as the momentarily flustered look on Sharon's face. The words clearly escaped her before she could catch them. "That is exactly what I mean." While Sharon let out an uninhibited laugh in response, suddenly another thought occurred to her. "What do you mean the cat's out of the bag?"

Sharon sighed and circled a hand through the air, dismissing the question. "It's a long story. Point is, Andy asked and," she offered half a shrug and a light smile, "I said yes."

Andrea frowned a little, not too satisfied with Sharon's answer, but, as they finally reached the electronics room, ultimately smiled as well and said, "Well then, congratulations, Sharon!"

Sharon smiled again, pushing the door to the room open. "Thank you."

Andy was standing next to the desk Buzz sat at and when Andrea's eyes landed on him, she nodded approvingly. "Hi, guys," she simply said, receiving a round of casual greetings in return. Andy greeted her, too, but gave her a puzzled look before stepping aside to let both Andrea and Sharon find their places in the room.

"He sure is easy on the eyes," Andrea quipped. Although she spoke quietly she did not seem too worried about anyone overhearing her.

The team missed the quip, but Sharon and Andy most definitely did not.

Sharon's head whipped around to shoot Andrea an amused look as she sat down next to Buzz. When Andrea met it, Sharon's expression turned bland, but Andrea merely shrugged, unconcerned. Deciding she couldn't exactly disagree with the woman, Sharon just ended up shaking her head in renewed amusement, glancing over Andy with a coy smile before finally focusing on the screens in front of her.

Andy on the other hand shot Andrea a wide-eyed look, confused as to who the comment was aimed at, certainly not at their suspect, he hoped. Only when he met Sharon's smile did he realize who the topic of conversation was. That quickly wiped his confusion from his face only to make way for a self-satisfied smirk.

"Now, is this our guy?" Andrea asked, her eyes set on the monitors. If she noticed Andy's reaction she hid it well.

"We're about to find out," Sharon said, returning to business as well. "Buzz?" she added, looking at the man to her left.

He nodded and let Provenza know they were ready to start the interview.

...

When the interview was over, and it was decided they would take another look at their victim's apartment, Andy stood shoulder to shoulder with Sharon, letting the team slowly file out of the electronics room ahead of them. Last in that line in front of them was Andrea.

She stopped and turned around in the doorway, tilting her head toward Sharon as she looked at Andy. "Congratulations," she said and offered a smile.

Sharon instantly looked at him and he shot her a grin before nodding in response and saying, "Thanks."

With that Andrea turned around again and walked out, letting them follow.

Andy put a hand out, gesturing for Sharon to go ahead. As she passed him, he mumbled, "I'm easy on the eyes, huh?"

She stopped to catch his smug look, then cocked an eyebrow. "Don't let it get to your head," she rapped a few fingers over his arm, "Lieutenant." She then walked out as if nothing had been said.

Andy caught her amused smile though and chuckled to himself before going after her.

* * *

 ** _What do you think? Too much?_**


	32. 5x20

_**Here's three added scenes to 5x20.  
**_ _ **No. 1 is set right after the press conference. That glare at the end with Sharon just wasn't enough for me. No. 2 happens after the scene with Morales. No. 3 is after Sharon and the squad roll out to the cemetery.**_

 _ **I hope you'll enjoy these. And sorry if you expected scenes about the cliffhanger, but I am not tackling that until the next episode airs. Still wanna keep these in canon as much as possible, y'know! ;)**_

 _ **And I want to thank MajorCFan for her help on this. I struggled a bit with the first two scenes and she came to my rescue. That woman's just awesome! :D**_

* * *

No. 1

"Uh, Sharon?"

Andy's voice snapped her out of her incredulous glaring at the Deputy Chief and she turned around to notice her entire team glaring at their Deputy Chief as well. They seemed as unimpressed by Davis's stunt as she was. "Yes, Andy?"

"Morales." He waved his phone at her. "He's ready and waiting for us."

She hummed absentmindedly and turned her head to see the journalists dispersing and, of course, Chief Davis heading their way. Returning her focus to the team, she said, "Good. You're coming with me, Andy." While he nodded, she looked at Mike. "Would you like to join us?" It was a superfluous question, she was certain he wanted to.

Mike instantly nodded, too. "Uh, yes, Captain."

"Captain Raydor." The loud voice of Winnie Davis let Sharon know she had finally reached them.

She gave her team members a pointed look, warning them to behave. Then, suppressing an eye roll, she took a quick breath and faced her current bane of existence. "Yes, Chief," she responded politely, crossing her hands behind her back.

Glancing over the team, who all had anything but welcoming expressions on their faces, Davis said, "I take it you heard my statement?" She tilted her head to where she was standing barely a minute ago.

"Yes, I did," Sharon confirmed stoically. "Does that mean you are taking over our case, Chief?" she asked, succeeding in sounding as neutral as possible.

She felt the team shift on their feet behind her, but fortunately they all remained silent. While she was touched by and even appreciated their protectiveness of her, she appreciated them not helping escalate matters even more.

Their movement did not go unnoticed by Davis either and she gave them a nearly expectant look, as if daring them to say something. When nobody did, she looked back at Sharon and finally responded with a question of her own. "And what makes you think that, Captain?"

Sharon frowned briefly, unable to help her reaction even if she knew the Chief was merely taunting her and trying to mark her still non-existent territory. Before she could offer a response, however, she heard Provenza, behind her, speak up.

"Oh, maybe," his words were dripping with derision and sarcasm, "the fact that you just held a press conference without consulting anyone."

"Or, Ma'am," Julio chipped in, not sounding as derisive as the older Lieutenant, but certainly sarcastic, "the fact that you labeled this as terrorism without talking to the lead investigator of the case."

Before either Davis could respond or anyone else could offer their piece of mind, Sharon quickly said, "What my colleagues are trying to say is that we don't know what this is yet and that I would appreciate it if you would run your conclusions by me," she looked pointedly behind the Chief where she had been standing moments ago, "before you share them with the media, Chief." She put on a fake polite smile and added, "Unless, of course, you are taking Major Crimes off the case."

A momentary smirk crossed Sharon's features when she saw Davis swallow. Clearly, she was given permission to do a lot of things, but taking over was not one of them. "I am here to make sure this situation is handled properly," she said confidently.

Sharon raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but bit her tongue and, instead of letting her in on her idea of proper handling of situations, said, "Of course, Chief." She knew she sounded sarcastic, but she could not help it at the moment. Hoping to hurry things along while she, as well as her team, still had a grip on their tempers, she added, "Is there anything else we can do for you then?"

To her surprise, Davis smiled. "I was just about to ask you the same thing, Captain." Sharon's brow instantly furrowed in suspicion, but Davis went on, her voice full of condescension. "Any special requests this time?" She glanced over the rest of the team and shrugged. "I'm afraid that in Chief Howard's absence you will have to run those by me." Her gaze settled on Sharon again, who narrowed her eyes at the repetition of her earlier phrasing. "Might consider this a practice run, don't you think?"

While feeling more irritated than she liked to admit, a small smile suddenly found its way onto Sharon's lips. "Well," she purposefully spoke more to herself than Davis, "I'm not sure how special a request this is. But," she refocused her attention on Davis, leaving no doubt as to who she was addressing now, "just to cover all our bases... May we meet with Doctor Morales? We were just told he was ready for us and we," she indicated at Mike and Andy with a flick of her hand, "would like to confirm cause of death."

Davis visibly bristled at both her words and tone. Sharon took it as a small victory when, unlike her, Davis failed to keep her irritation out of her voice. "We are dealing with terrorism here, so time is of the essence, Captain," she said, then folded her arms across her chest.

Sharon raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, _if_ we are dealing with terrorism," she couldn't help the underlying note of sarcasm, for right now there was no way of telling what exactly it was that they were dealing with, "it most certainly is." She shook her head, planting a puzzled expression on her face. "But, I'm sorry, Chief, is that a yes," she tilted her head to the side, "or a no to our special request?" It took effort to suppress a smirk when Julio, behind her, chuckled quietly.

Davis frowned and unfolded her arms to dismissively wave a hand at Mike and Andy as if to hurry them along. "Let's take a look at those bodies then."

Neither one, of course, moved. Instead, Sharon heard Mike mumbled under his breath, "Victims."

Davis heard him, too, but Sharon shot Andy a pointed look before she could do more than look at Mike sharply.

Taking her hint, he said, "Well," he turned toward the elevators to, if Sharon had to guess, hide an eye roll, "follow us, Chief."

With that he started walking down the hall, Mike in tow. While Sharon did not appreciate Davis inviting herself along like that, Davis at least followed without further comment.

Sharon stayed behind to give Provenza, who was all but scowling at their superior officer's retreating back, a pointed look that said, "Get back to work."

He rolled his eyes, but did as ordered and ushered the rest of her nearly equally irritated-looking team back into the murder room.

Sharon then took a patience-summoning breath and quickly walked down the hall to catch up with Mike, Andy and Davis.

* * *

No. 2

Sharon sighed in relief when Chief Davis excused herself before she, Andy and Mike could even untie their blue gowns, let alone take them off. She was looking forward to continue working their case without Davis's mere presence putting her team on edge.

Before she could do so, however, both her and Andy were startled when, in the middle of their process of disrobing the pesky gowns, Mike suddenly groaned, and in obvious frustration, all but ripped his off, rolled it into a messy ball and flung it into the medical waste can. They exchanged surprised and worried looks, then warily turned to Mike as they threw away their own gowns, in hopes he would explain his behavior without further prompting.

"Sorry, Captain," Mike finally said, taking a breath, his eyes fixed on where they last saw the Chief. "But," he met Sharon's questioning gaze, "it was either this," he pointed a hand at the red trashcan in front of them, "or biting our Chief's head off."

Andy chuckled and reached for his jacket to put it back on. "She does seem to bring out that urge in people."

Sharon chuckled as well, despite knowing it was probably inappropriate to do so. "I understand, Mike," she finally replied. "It's not just your patience she is testing," she admitted.

"All the more reason to make someone _else_ Assistant Chief," Andy muttered pointedly, but made no further comment at the bland look Sharon shot him.

Mike smirked at their exchange, it wasn't the first of the kind he witnessed, and said, slightly questioningly, "All the more reason to find whoever's behind this."

Andy rolled his eyes at Mike's rational conclusion, but Sharon immediately agreed. "Exactly."

"In that case, Captain, I'd like to interview the daughter if you don't mind?" Mike asked, looking eager to get things moving again.

Sharon nodded. "Sure, you can take Lieutenant Provenza's place with Julio when they bring her in."

"I will, thanks," Mike said.

The almost relieved manner in which he said that prompted Sharon to, on a more concerned note, ask, "Are you alright?" She would have liked to tell him that none of this was his fault, but knew that would be the last thing he'd want to hear right now.

Mike shrugged. "I will be once we solve this thing." There was a questioning note to his answer.

Sharon only smiled in understanding, while Andy nodded and optimistically said, "Well, let's see then if this Sofia girl can help us out with that." He started to lead the way toward the exit, but suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Unless you'd like to go another round," he tilted his head toward the trashcan, "with the gowns?"

Sharon suppressed an amused eye roll, but smiled at Mike's response.

He offered Andy half a smile, then, walking past him, tapped the back of his shoulder and said, "I appreciate the offer, Andy, but I'm good for now."

* * *

No. 3

The heavy sigh behind him made Rusty turn around.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Huh?" Andy's head snapped up to look at him. "Yeah," he shook his head and took a breath, straightening in the process, "I'm headed for RACR." He gestured a hand toward the room in question. "You and Hobbs," he looked across the room to where the DDA was making a phone call, "can join me." He started walking toward the room before Rusty could even nod in acknowledgment.

"Um, Andy?" Rusty called after him somewhat hesitantly.

Andy stopped and looked at him. "Don't worry, Rusty, she _will_ be careful," he assured him, nodding his head as if to add, "You know that."

"Uh, no," Rusty shook his head. "I mean, yeah," he waved a hand through the air, "I know she will. I just," again he hesitated.

When the pause dragged out longer than Andy cared for, he frowned but took a step back toward Rusty, slightly concerned now. "You just what?" he asked, probably more patiently than he felt.

"I thought you looked worried," Rusty finally said, a shrug underlying his words.

Andy chuckled bitterly. "So do you," he replied, giving him a pointed look over a raised eyebrow. When Rusty rolled his eyes at the obvious evasiveness in his answer, Andy took another, deeper breath and said, "Yeah, I'm worried, I always am." He almost angrily added, "Doesn't help that I'm stuck here," he pointed a finger at the floor, "while they're out there," he waved a hand toward the windows and rolled his eyes, "chasing bombs no less."

"You don't show it much," Rusty said and the brief wide-eyed look that crossed his features made it seem like he had not intended to come across quite as accusingly as he did.

Fortunately, Andy just shrugged it off. "Well," the word left him on a high note, "if I wanna do my job, worry is the last thing I should waste time on showing." When Rusty just looked at him, a slight frown furrowing his brow, Andy shrugged and half-turned around in the direction of RACR before, on a more knowing note, adding, "There's a reason why your mom _never_ freaks out." When Rusty scoffed a laugh, Andy smirked and started walking away again. "Keeps us focused, Rusty," he threw over his shoulder.

Rusty nodded and watched Andy's retreating back with narrowed eyes for a moment. He didn't lament over Andy's familiar word choice, but instead took a breath and decided to wait on Andrea. Walking over to her, he sarcastically muttered under his breath, "Funny. Not freaking out keeps me _from_ focusing."

Having heard him talk, Andrea turned around to face Rusty approaching her as she put away her phone and asked, "What was that?"

Rusty's step faltered and he gave her a momentarily startled look. "Oh, nothing," he said matter-of-factly then hooked a thumb in Andy's direction. "Andy said we can join him in RACR."

"Alright, lead the way," Andrea said, gesturing for Rusty to do exactly that.

* * *

 _ **So... what do you think?**_


	33. 5x21a

_**COMMANDER SHARON RAYDOR. I have been periodically reminding myself of this wonderful development ever since the episode aired. And since that is what is predominantly on my mind, of course I'm first tackling that in my little add-ons.**_

 _ **There have been plenty of gaps for a nice Shandy scene so I plan on filling some of those later, but until then, I'll leave you to these. As always, I would love to hear what you think of them. :)**_

 _ **A special thanks to MajorCFan who's become a bit of a sounding board for me and who never refuses to help me out with these.**_

* * *

They were puzzled. Moments after escorting her to the office, Howard showed up again and threw them a, "See you, guys!" over a content grin before strutting away.

Andy frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Julio shrugged. "No clue, Sir."

"I'd say it's down to Mason and the Captain," Amy offered, shrugging a single shoulder and returning to her task.

"Huh," Andy let out, nodding before going back to work as well.

Forty-five minutes passed without Sharon returning. They could have been done twenty minutes ago, but per unspoken agreement all of them were dragging their feet. More boxes of things to sift through awaited them in the wrecked murder room, but none of them were willing to leave just yet. Pure impatience and flat out nosiness kept them rooted to their spot, hoping Sharon would reappear soon and bearing good news.

When it was clear they could do little more to continue stalling, Andy lifted their anticipatory silence. Looking at the corner they last saw their Captain, he said, "This is starting to make me nervous."

"What is?" Provenza's voice reached them from behind Andy.

Turning around they saw both him and Mike approach, each carrying a half full box.

Nolan was the one to answer. "The Captain's spent the last," he glanced at his watch, "forty-five minutes in the Assistant Chief's office."

Provenza's eyes widened and he put down his box. "She got the job?" He sounded rather hopeful.

Andy shrugged and sighed. "No idea."

Mike tilted his head in front of him, depositing his box next to Provenza's on the desk. "We're about to find out," he mumbled.

They all whirled around to see Sharon and Mason shaking hands, both wearing what looked like genuine smiles on their faces. Sharon nodded to something he said, and with that he took his leave. They all exchanged slightly anxious looks when Sharon took a breath and squared her shoulders before turning in their direction and starting to walk over to them.

Sounding positively incredulous by the fact that she had said nothing even though she was well within earshot, Andy threw his arms out and impatiently asked, "So?"

"What's the verdict?" Nolan chipped in.

Coming to a stop in front of the yellow tape separating them, a huge smile spilled over her features. She shrugged and, sounding like she had not a single care in the world, she said, "He is running off to a meeting, but Assistant Chief Mason," she carefully enunciated Mason's new rank, "will stop by later to formally introduce himself."

The team was dumbfounded for a moment and it was Buzz who, trying to look on the bright side, finally said, "Well, at least it's not Davis." He glanced at his team who all almost begrudgingly nodded in agreement.

"I know you didn't want the job, Ma'am," Julio said, in a quiet, low tone of voice that made way to disappointment, "but that should have been your new title."

"That's very kind of you to say, Julio," Sharon smiled at him, "but," she chanced a glance at Andy who was frowning, and a raised eyebrow joined her smile, "I am incredibly happy with how things turned out."

"You're still our boss then?" Amy asked hopefully.

"Yes, Amy," Sharon nodded, still smiling, "I am."

"What about Howard?" Andy finally asked. He still looked less than pleased with the latest development.

Sharon shrugged. "Returning to his old post."

"And it took nearly an hour to fill you in on that?" Provenza asked sarcastically.

"Actually," her tone of voice suggested she did not exactly appreciate his sarcasm, "Chief Mason and I discussed a few more things, Lieutenant."

Provenza folded his arms across his chest. "So," he sounded very unimpressed, "how many changes can we expect around here then?"

Sharon let her gaze travel down the hallway before she said, "A few." She pinned a now defiant-looking Provenza with a pointed look. "And not that many of them bad."

He scoffed but made no further comment.

"What's that, Captain?" Nolan asked, eyeing the little box she held clasped between two palms.

"Oh," Sharon dropped her eyes to the object. "One of the good changes, I think." There was a happy undertone to her words. "One that will involve you," a smile that she was clearly trying to fend off, sneaked its way onto her lips, "getting used to addressing me as something else."

Her team all frowned and exchanged puzzled looks, but it was Andy who put the pieces together first. They had talked about it actually, so it was no surprise that he did. Sharon having stopped expecting that particular career step, was one of the reasons why she didn't feel too keen on fighting for the Assistant Chief's position.

"He didn't," he said in disbelief.

She nodded, smiling almost giddily at him. Waving the box through the air, she replied, "He did."

"Did what?" Nolan asked, but Andy stole Sharon's attention by immediately making his way under the tape and unceremoniously relieving her of her neat, little box to open it.

Ignoring Sharon's slight frown, he inspected its contents and his eyes grew wide for a moment, before he grinned and looked up at his team. He turned the box around for them to see and wiggled an eyebrow at them.

"Commander Sharon Raydor," Julio let out, impressed.

There was no doubt about it. Sharon was giddy with happiness even if her expression held a healthy amount of disbelief about the unexpected turn of events. She folded her hands in front of herself and awkwardly drew her shoulders together. Her only word of confirmation left her on almost a squeal. "Yes!"

Amy moved under the tape as well then. Pulling her promoted boss into a hug, she said, "Congratulations, Commander Raydor!"

Her colleagues followed suit, offering their own set of congratulatory hugs or handshakes.

"Or Commander Flynn," Mike said, shaking her hand when it was his turn.

"Or Commander Flynn," Sharon confirmed, throwing Andy an amused look, who just shook his head, grinning.

Provenza stayed back behind the tape, even though the rest of his division had now huddled around their newly announced Commander.

Sharon looked at him and once he met her eyes, said, "I'm afraid that view," she tilted her head in the direction of her office, "is still mine to admire."

He momentarily narrowed his eyes at her, but finally nodded, offering a proud-looking smile, too. "If anyone deserves it, Captain," he shook his head, "I mean," he bowed his head, " _Commander_ , it's you, Sharon."

Her return smile turned watery, and touched, she let out, "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"We should celebrate, Ma'am," Julio said, looking at Andy in search of support; he was still holding Sharon's stars.

He nodded, closing the lid and turned to Sharon. "We definitely should," he agreed over a grin. He offered her back the box and when she reclaimed it, he trapped her hands clasping the box now between his and asked in challange, "What do you say?" Smiling proudly at her, he added, "Commander?"

She smiled back and carefully extricated her hands out of his, facing her team with a slightly apologetic, yet determined look on her face.

Before she could say anything, Andy spoke again, knowing where she would be going with that. "Come on," he playfully bumped a shoulder against hers and eyed her box again. "You didn't exchange your sense of occasion for those, did you?" he asked. "Because, if you did," he shot her a bland look, "please, return them," he added, making the team chuckle.

Even though she shook her head in amusement rather than displeasure, Sharon resolutely said, "My first order of business as Commander will not be playing hooky."

Julio chuckled. "Playing hooky," he mumbled.

Sharon shot him a look over a quirked eyebrow but got distracted when Provenza suddenly all but yelped, "There it is!"

Seven heads turned around to look at him in surprise only to find him cradling his bobble-head. They half expected him to start petting the thing.

"What?" he asked defensively.

"Nothing, Lieutenant Gollum," Buzz answered, grinning.

"Gol-what?" Provenza looked at him in irritation.

"Uh, Gollum," Mike eagerly started, "a major character in Tolkien's 'The Lord o-"

Not letting go of his precious bobble-head, Provenza waved a hand at him, effectively shutting him up. "I don't wanna know."

While they all laughed at their grumpy Lieutenant, Sharon circled back to Andy's earlier question. "As for my sense of occasion," the words left her on a pointed look and an amused smile in his direction before she refocused on the rest of her squad, "I would be more than happy to celebrate." Everybody perked up at that but she raised a finger and their faces immediately fell. "Later," she smiled, "because I would like to be able to do so once I know repairs on our murder room can commence. So, unless you want them to just throw away our salvageable things," she flicked her hand at them, "I believe you have some sorting through to do."

Admitting defeat for the time being, the team begrudgingly agreed and slowly filed out of the hallway.

Sharon, and Andy who lingered behind for a moment, chuckled when they heard Provenza mutter, "A Commander for barely five minutes and she's already a..." the rest of his words were lost on them as he turned the corner.

"Go," Sharon waved a hand at Andy, ushering him away as well. "The sooner we're done here," she raised an eyebrow at him when he scanned the hallway with interest, but it did not thwart her from finishing her thought, "the sooner we can all celebrate."

"Okay," he said without protest and before she could thank him, he caught her off guard by pressing a kiss to her lips. She was caught between a frown and a smile when, within a second, he pulled back, grinning smugly. Before she could admonish him, he shrugged and not sounding too apologetic, said, "Sorry." When he added, "But congratulations were in order, Sharon," her frown disappeared, making way for a proper smile.

Shaking her head at him, she softly said, "Thank you." She gave him a gentle push then. "Now go back to work, Lieutenant."

He grinned and started walking away on a mock salute. "Yes, Captain." His step faltered and he corrected himself, "I mean, _Commander_."

She chuckled at his retreating form, then, giving her box one more look, made her way down the hall to return to work herself.

...

Sharon was surprised to run into Howard in front of Mason's office the next day. She was glad that she did, however. The previous day he had been out of the building before she could talk to him.

"Oh, hi," Howard grinned, "Commander."

"Hello," Sharon replied, then pointed at Mason's door. "Coming or going?"

"Uh, going." He sighed. "Caught a case last night, had to clear something with our new Assistant Chief. You?"

Sharon shook her head. "Just dropping this off," she waved a stack of papers in front of him, "with his secretary." She added, "I'm glad I ran into you, actually."

A smirk settled on his features, clearly guessing why. "And why's that?" he asked anyway.

She looked at him indulgently. "Thank you, Fritz," she said, cutting straight to the chase.

"I didn't do anything, Sharon," Howard said. "It was all Mason." He tilted his head knowingly. "Cleared it with the Pope himself."

Sharon pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. "And Chief Mason did not ask for your input on this?" The underlying sarcasm in her question gave away the answer she expected.

Howard chuckled. "He may have mentioned it," his voice went up in pitch slightly, "and I may have said that that promotion was long overdue, but," he turned more serious, "you didn't get it _because_ of me."

Sharon smiled. "I know. Still," she nodded, "thank you." When he looked like he was about to argue, she quickly added, "For your support."

"Not a problem, Commander." He shifted on his spot then leaned in a bit and lowered his voice. "So, did you run into Winnie Davis yet?"

Sharon shot him a brief wide-eyed look, but then laughed quietly. "No, Chief, not yet."

He straightened. "Good," he said on a mischievous smile. "Still have the chance on maybe being there when she hears of this."

Although she chuckled, more seriously, Sharon said, "She knows by now, I'm sure."

Howard waved her off. "Right, but still," he tilted his head to the side, "it would be nice to see her thrilled self talk to you in your new capacity." He smirked. "In person."

Sharon suppressed another chuckle, but smiled nonetheless. Shaking her head at him, she said, "It was nice seeing you." She patted the side of his arm and made her way toward the secretary. "Good luck with your case, Chief."

He laughed, but said, "Good luck with your repairs, Commander!"


	34. 5x21b

_**Here are two scenes taking place after the cemetery explosion. I plan on tackling the second explosion soon, too.**_

 _ **Sending thanks to MajorCFan for being my beta.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

* * *

Andrea had gone back to her office shortly after they were told there had been no casualties. She had offered Rusty the rest of the day off, guessing correctly that he would be, despite his mother's assurances that she was alright, rather rattled. Under any other circumstance, Andy might have pushed the kid to just go back to work, tell him that there was no need, no use for him to wait on the return of his squad, but not in this case. Because, honestly, Andy was rather rattled, too. Suddenly he knew all too well how Sharon must have felt when he had been nearly blown up a few months ago. And that realization only rattled him some more.

The only thing he did do, when Rusty had gladly accepted Andrea's offer, was send him to the break room. He had been pacing a hole in the murder room floor for nearly half an hour and it was slowly driving Andy crazy. It didn't help his leg nervously tapping as he sat behind his desk either. So he sent him away to let his leg work his nerves in peace.

It was moments like these that made Andy curse his heart even more so than usual. He had, of course, also talked to Sharon. He had talked to Provenza, too. Both of them assured him everybody was alright, not counting the slight ringing in their ears. Still, he was itching to lay eyes on them and confirm that for himself. More than ever he wished he had been allowed to join them on the scene. It was a selfish way of thinking and Sharon would not appreciate it one bit, but he knew that had he been out there, Sharon would have been in his current place; as rattled as him, but at least one hundred percent safe.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Andy turned in his chair, an expectant look on his face.

Julio and Amy were at the head of the little line, and, more to calm his own nerves rather than theirs, Andy grinned and said, "There are easier ways to get yourself killed, you know."

Julio shrugged. "True, Sir, but this way we'd spare us the trip to the cemetery."

Andy chuckled, Julio's humor once more reassuring him that they were indeed okay.

They all slowly found their desks, Julio, Amy, Nolan, Provenza. Andy already knew Buzz and Mike would stay behind at the scene, but he frowned noticing one absence that he hadn't been told to expect.

"Where's Sharon?" he asked, the higher pitch of his voice giving away his sudden worry.

Provenza answered on a scowl. "Winnie Davis."

"Oh," Andy couldn't help but sigh in relief. While Davis wasn't the most pleasant of ideas, worse had crossed his mind for a moment.

"Yeah, 'oh'," Provenza muttered. "She pounced on the Captain the moment we stepped inside the building."

"They're in Chief Howard's office now," Amy added.

"That'll help solve this case faster," Andy mumbled sarcastically.

"You think?" Provenza asked equally sarcastically. Looking around the murder room, he changed topics. "Where's Rusty?"

"Break room," Andy answered, tilting his head in its direction.

"Did he see the whole thing?" Julio asked.

On a sigh, Andy said, "Yeah."

Another set of approaching footsteps prevented Julio from discussing the topic further and instead the team's attention was drawn to the entrance into the murder room. Andy would have recognized the sound of her gait anywhere but he smiled in relief only when he finally set eyes on Sharon.

He didn't even register Nolan saying in surprise, "Well that was quick." Instead he was busy looking her up and down, searching for the slightest of traces of injuries. There were only a few specks of dust on her pants and she would probably tell him her hair had seen better days, but other than that she did seem fine. She looked exhausted though and there was a slight frown between her brows which he suspected was courtesy of Winnie Davis, but it instantly vanished when she met his eyes and flashed him a smile. He had the sudden urge to just run over to her and wrap his arms around her, but she slowly closed her eyes and shook her head ever so slightly as if reading his mind and telling him to just stay put.

Confident that Andy got her message, she came to a stop in the middle of the room and faced the rest of the team. "Pack up, get some rest," she eyed all of them individually. "Until we process the scene there's little we can do."

"Does Winnie agree with that?" Provenza asked.

Sharon actually rolled her eyes and sarcastically said, "Barely." She clasped her hands together and looked them all over again. "But we are to go home and regroup in the morning. I already let Buzz and Mike know." Not waiting for a reply, she added, "See you tomorrow." and started walking to her office.

"Well, you heard her," Provenza told the rest of the squad as he got to his feet. "Go home," he added, waving a hand at them to get them moving.

When Sharon reached Andy she tilted her head toward her office as she passed him.

He instantly stood up. "I'm glad you guys are okay," he told his team, who just nodded in response. "See you in the morning," he added, then followed Sharon.

"Where's Rusty?" Sharon asked when he closed the door. She didn't take her seat behind her desk, but instead leaned against the desk's side.

Andy looked out the window, "Break r-" He spotted Rusty entering the murder room. "Actually," he said, then opened the door again to get the young man's attention by waving a hand at him, "there he is."

Noticing him, Rusty looked torn for a moment, between running to see his mother and wanting to make sure everybody else was alright. Andy chuckled when he heard his partner grumble, "Go, we're fine. I'm sure she's waiting for you."

That's all it took for Rusty to finally decide and Andy barely managed to move to the side before he stormed into the office. "Mom," was all he said, before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

Surprise briefly flashed across Sharon's features and Andy didn't expect Rusty to react quite that violently either, but she quickly recovered and reciprocated the hug. "Hi," she said softly. Rubbing a hand soothingly over his back, she added, "I'm really fine, Rusty. Don't worry."

He grunted and squeezed her tightly once more before finally letting go. His gaze briefly lingered on Andy who was watching the display from the middle of the office, and suddenly flustered, he told her, "Sorry, but you scared me."

She trailed a gentle path down his arm. "I know, scared myself a bit, too," she said, a touch of humor to her words.

"A bit?" Andy muttered. Catching Rusty's eye, he added, smiling crookedly, "If that's not an understatement..."

Rusty chuckled, but focused on Sharon who's amused attention was temporarily on Andy. "I guess you're done for the day?" He elaborated on his question by pointing a hand at the now empty murder room.

Sharon smiled at him. "Yes, we are. Will you be heading home, too? I know Andrea gave you the rest of the day off, but-"

"How do you kno-" Rusty started asking, then turned on his spot to pin Andy with an exasperated look. "Really?"

Andy shook his head. "Nope, blame Hobbs."

Rusty rolled his eyes, then looked at Sharon who started chuckling. "You need to know absolutely everything, don't you?" he asked her. "Even when you're nearly blown up?"

She grinned. "I do," she said simply.

At that even Rusty had to chuckle. He turned to Andy and blandly said, "She's definitely fine."

Andy laughed, looking at Sharon. "Yeah," he said on nod. "But how about we go home anyway?"

"Yes," Sharon said on a sigh. "Let me just," she trailed off, walking behind her desk.

"Should I pick up some dinner?" Rusty asked Andy, while Sharon collected some papers into a folder.

"Sure," Andy said. "You know what we like." He rolled his eyes and added, "Just make sure it's nothing that'll give me another heart attack."

Before Rusty could respond, Sharon looked up from her papers and sarcastically said, "Ha-ha."

"What?" Andy asked defensively, but she just pursed her lips and went back to her task.

Rusty just laughed. "I'll see what I can do then." He walked toward the door and paused only to ask, "See you at home then?"

Sharon looked up again. "See you at home."

With that he walked out and closed the door behind him.

"You plan on packing up your entire desk?" Andy asked, watching Sharon as she found a couple more folders and neatly stacked them on top of a third.

She smiled and looked at him over an upturned eyebrow. "Just taking these with me," she said, picking up the stack of folders.

Andy smirked. "Well, as long as I get to take _you_ with _me.._." He opened the door with a flourish and gestured for her to go ahead.

She gave him a bemused look but rounded her desk, the folders clasped to her side, and walked up to him. "That you do."

He grinned. "First things first though," he said, and, not giving her a chance to even look at him quizzically, wrapped his arms around her.

It was a clumsy embrace, for she struggled not to drop her folders, but she ultimately wrapped her free arm around him and relaxed into him for a few moments. That was proof enough that she was much more tired and tense than she let on.

His face buried in her hair, he took a breath and, hoping to lift the mood a bit, mumbled, "For future reference. You getting caught in explosions," he shook his head as much as he could without lifting his head, "not good for my heart."

Oh, she never appreciated his health jokes but she did laugh into his chest at this one. She looked up at him, smiling. "Let's go home."

He tightened his hold on her for a second before letting go and grabbing her hand instead. "Yes, Captain," he said.

She smiled at his over-enthusiastic tug and gladly followed his lead.

...

Andy stepped out of the adjoining bathroom and into their bedroom to find Sharon sitting up against the headboard, a manila folder lying open on her lap.

"Oh, no," he said, quickly taking the remaining steps toward the bed. He leaned over it, finding purchase on top of it with the palm of his hand, and reached over to her side to snatch the folder out of her grasp.

She glared at him. "Andy!"

"No," he reiterated, standing up. He made a show of snapping the folder shut and stored it away in the drawer of his bedside table. "We just spent two hours discussing the case." He continued even though her glare only intensified as she narrowed her eyes at him. "You're already set on our next steps." He joined her in the bed and slipped under the covers. "Steps," he looked at her pointedly but grinned when she defiantly folded her arms across her chest, "we've agreed can't be taken until _tomorrow morning_."

When they arrived home, Rusty soon followed armed with take out bags. They had a fairly quiet dinner and after that Sharon insisted on going over the case in search of anything that they might have missed or they might still be able to do while they were waiting for SID to process the cemetery rubble. Andy was only too glad to help. And he was as eager to catch this guy as she was, but right now, he'd much rather decompress and try to take a moment to revel in the fact that the explosion hadn't led to an entirely different end of their day.

She relented on a sigh and dropped her arms to her sides. "We are dealing with a bomber," her voice took on an explanatory note, "and if there are more bombs out there-"

"We need to find him as soon as possible, I know." He wasn't too comfortable with the idea of what the guy could do in the time they stood idle either. "But you guys could have been," he paused, "killed today, Sharon." He suddenly smirked at her and added, "What was it you said earlier today? 'Pack up and rest'?" He nudged her shoulder and gently said, "That goes for you, too."

She nodded. "There's little we can do until the scene's processed," she said absentmindedly, thinking of her earlier justification, too.

"And," Andy nodded as well, "what little we could do, we just did."

She sighed again. "You're right." She slid down the headboard to lie down on her back. "I am tired," she admitted.

He lay down as well, only he turned to his side to face her. "I know you are." He forced a grin and added, "Trying to one-up me will do that to you."

She turned her head to look at him in confusion. "One-up you?"

His grin faded into a rueful smile. "I thought trying to get myself killed was my thing. When did it turn into a competition?"

A short chuckle burst out of her. "It didn't," she argued. Growing more serious and slightly concerned, she added, "You okay?"

He suppressed an eye roll. Leave it to Sharon Raydor to worry about others after surviving an explosion herself. "You scared the crap out of me today," he said, finding an excuse to avoid her gaze by looking at his hand that started playing with tips of her fingers. "Rusty, too."

She stilled his hand by wrapping her fingers around it. When she squeezed it, he finally met her eyes again. "I know," she told him, "but-"

"It's part of the job?" Andy suggested sarcastically.

She smiled. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Yeah," Andy agreed begrudgingly. On a one-shoulder shrug, he added, "I guess I got to walk a mile in your shoes today."

Sharon suddenly giggled and he frowned, puzzled. "I'm sorry. I just imagined you in my heels," she managed, then snorted in another fit of laughter.

He stared at her in disbelief for a second then promptly burst into laughter himself. He stopped only when she suddenly turned to her side and propped herself on an elbow, completely sober now.

"Is it awful that I'm actually glad it was me out there instead of you?" Her words sounded guilt ridden, too.

It made Andy chuckle. "Is it awful that I wished it was me out there instead of _you_?" he countered.

She considered that for a moment. "We're both awful," she finally decided.

An amused smile lifted the corners of Andy's mouth. "Yeah?"

She chuckled and leaned forward. "Yeah," she confirmed in mock imitation before kissing him.

He deepened the kiss, rejoicing in the fact that he could. When he found himself hovering above her, he pulled back. "I wasn't kidding earlier you know," he said slightly out of breath.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Earlier?"

"You and explosions are a bad combo for my heart, Sharon," he explained.

The confusion lifted from her face only to make way for regret. Her gaze dropped to his chest and she pressed the palm of her hand against it. It seemed to him that a myriad of thoughts crossed her mind, but the one she finally voiced proved dangerous for his heart for more pleasant reasons.

"I love you," she said thickly, looking up to meet his eyes.

He smiled. "Then, please, steer clear of bombs from now on?" He wasn't surprised that he actually did sound like he was pleading with her.

She clasped his face between her hands and smiled back at him. "I can only promise to try."

He grunted. "I hate those kind of promises."

She chuckled. Drawing a shoulder upwards, she said, "It's the best I can do and you know it."

He rolled his eyes an grumbled, "I do, but I'm still allowed to hate them."

"You are," she agreed, then drew his face into another quick kiss.

"You have no idea how glad I am you're okay," Andy said as she let go of his face. "The team, too."

"Oh," she drawled, "I think I have a pretty good idea."

Andy shook his head and chuckled. "Right, we've put you through something like this ourselves."

"Mhm," she hummed in agreement.

"I'm even more glad I can still do this," Andy added, grinning before he leaned down to kiss her again.

She responded with fervor only for Andy to abruptly pull back and say, "Sharon?"

A bit distracted she let out, "Hmm?" She almost sounded irritated by his sudden interruption.

"I love you, too," he said, smirking.

She instantly smiled, whatever irritation there was a moment ago, vanishing with it. "I know," she said rather smugly, then snaked a hand to the back of his neck as if making sure he could not interrupt again, and pulled him down to capture his lips once again.


	35. 5x21c

_**Here goes my add-on for that final explosion. Andy's little stunt was the perfect opportunity to add some disagreement/discord with Shandy, and since I just love having those two argue every now and then, expect quite a bit of talking in this chapter.**_

 _ **Sending huge thanks MajorCFan's way for her beta work on this.**_

 _ **Enjoy and don't forget to tell me what you thought of it. :)**_

* * *

"I am perfectly fine!" Provenza was yelling at a paramedic. The poor man had tried putting his hands over the Lieutenant's shoulders, hoping to get him to sit down in the back of the ambulance, but Provenza just shrugged him off.

"Provenza!" Andy hollered, running toward him and flashing his badge to an officer as he ducked under the yellow tape that marked the safety distance to LAPD headquarters.

Andy would have been there sooner, but he knew better than to break protocol any further. Sharon would be reading him the riot act for his little stunt later anyway, so he figured it best to stay behind, deal with their bomber by the book before giving in to his need to rush over and check up on her and his team. By the time he was finally done, the building was nearly completely evacuated. Firefighters, paramedics and the bomb squad were on scene, and practically everybody was banished from the building until it was ascertained that there were no more active explosives inside.

"Flynn!" Provenza said, turning around at the sound of his voice. "Would you please tell him," Provenza shot the paramedic an irritated glare, "that there's nothing wrong with me?!"

Andy shook his head in amusement and grinned. His partner may be covered in dust and soot from head to toe, he was coughing a little, too, but yes, if he was this vocal, there was nothing more wrong with him than usual.

Reaching him, Andy said, "Just let him do his job," he patted his shoulder, "or Patrice will drag you to the hospital later herself."

Provenza's eyes went wide. "Patrice!" He instantly started fumbling for his phone, no longer fighting off the paramedic that once again tried to get him to sit down.

Assured that Provenza was indeed alright, Andy looked around. Innocent bystanders and curious on-lookers gathered outside the sealed off perimeter, but inside of it there was nothing but organized chaos. A perk, apparently, of mostly dealing with trained police officers. He noticed Howard in the middle of talking to a Lieutenant from the bomb squad and a couple of firefighters. A quick glance at him told Andy he had not been caught in the explosion. Around the back of another ambulance, paramedics were looking over Ortiz's ex-wife, while two police officers kept a watchful eye on her. A few steps further down he finally laid eyes on the rest of his squad huddled together.

He quickened his pace and tapped the first dusty shoulder he could reach.

Buzz turned around. "Oh, hey," he spoke in a raspy voice and coughed, "Lieutenant."

The greeting had the rest of them turn in his direction, but he failed to register what they were telling him as panic washed over him when he noted one particular absence.

"Where's Sharon?" he interrupted Mike, who, if he gathered correctly, was in the middle of telling him about how lucky they were.

Amy answered. "There," she pointed a finger to the side, "with Chief Howard."

Andy frowned, following her finger. "What? I just saw him, she's n-" he stopped when he set eyes on her. "Oh," he let out lamely.

Sharon was indeed standing there, on Howard's other side, which is why he must have missed her earlier. Just like Provenza and the rest of his squad, she was covered in dust, but also like them, she did not look hurt. She had told him as much over the phone, but at the sight of her he still sighed in relief.

Torn between two fronts now, Andy distractedly, and with no small amount of effort, returned his focus to his team. "You guys okay?"

"We will be once we clear our lungs of this," Nolan muttered, coughing to emphasize his point.

Mike smiled and nodded. "Paramedics checked us all out." He tilted his head toward Sharon. "Captain included. We were lucky. Just a little banged up is all."

Julio chuckled. "Paramedics didn't check us _all_ out," he said, turning around to look at Provenza who was talking on his phone, again fending off the paramedic, with an annoyed wave of his hand this time.

Andy looked his way, too, and snickered. "Oh," his tone was knowing, "he'll be checked out in a minute." He looked back at his team only to be met by sets of puzzled looks. "That's Patrice on the phone," he explained on a smirk.

They all laughed and Andy took the moment to look at Sharon again. He was itching to just walk over there and reassure himself once more that she was alright. However, he thought he was probably already on thin ice with her. He doubted it would help matters if he gave into his urge and rudely interrupted what seemed like an important discussion by pulling her into a hug and not letting go any time soon.

"So," Andy addressed Mike in an effort to get a grip on himself, "what's it look like up there?" He tilted his head to the higher floors of the building.

Mike grimaced. "The murder room's wrecked. We'll have a lot to go through once they let us back in there."

"The Captain's office took a hit, too," Julio added sadly.

That had Andy look her way again. "As long as you guys are in one piece," he trailed off, returning his focus to his team.

They all nodded in solemn agreement. "Captain actually saved our asses," Nolan said, looking at her impressed.

Andy frowned a little. "What do you mean?" He had no idea what had been going on in the murder room. All he caught was Ortiz's side of the phone call.

"It was the luggage," Buzz explained. "The Captain called it just in time for us to seek cover."

"Huh," Andy let out, an impressed smile on his face as his gaze once more fell on her.

Proudly, Amy added, "If that's not Assistant Chief material I don't know what is."

"Tell it to the brass, Sykes," Julio muttered glumly.

Andy nodded, understanding Julio's sarcasm. It wouldn't be the first time promotions were handed out to people not qualified enough for them. He said nothing, however, for Sharon finally got his undivided attention.

Howard must have dismissed her and she started making her way to their little group. He suddenly acted without thinking and in a matter of a few quick strides met her half-way. She came to a halt in surprise.

"You suck at keeping your promises," he accused.

Her expression darkened. "You suck at following doctor's orders," she shot back.

He smiled and surprised her once more by finally wrapping his arms around her, professional distance be damned. "You can chew me out for it later," he grumbled into her hair.

She wrapped her own arms around him and he sighed, reveling in the feel of her, even as she threatened, "Oh, I will."

He chuckled even though he had no doubt about it and pulled back, drawing his hands up to the side of her arms to give her a quick once over. He felt compelled to try and rub the dust of her face, but refrained. "You okay?"

She spoke almost begrudgingly. "I'll be sore in a few hours, I think, but yes," she smiled, "I'm okay." She looked past him, over his shoulder, at the rest of the squad who weren't paying them much attention. "We all are, thank God."

He pulled her into another hug. "Jesus, Sharon," he started, caught off guard by the sudden lump at the back of his throat, "I thought-"

"I know," she interrupted quietly, not fighting his hold on her, even if she liked to keep displays such as these to a bare minimum at work. When she relaxed into him by pressing her cheek into his chest and snaking her arms around him again, he figured she was more rattled than she let on, so he tightened his hold on her for a moment.

"I love you," he mumbled, inhaling and taking comfort in what little scent of her he could pick up on.

She hummed. "I love you, too." With that she loosened her arms and, smiling, he let her pull back.

Taking a step back, he asked, "Chief Howard?"

She shrugged. "I filled him in for now so he's sending us home." She started walking toward the team. Provenza had finally joined them, too, Andy noted. "The rest," she shot him a pointed look that verged on irritation, "can wait until tomorrow."

Andy nodded, actually relieved that she would not be giving him an earful right away. Falling into step with her, he just said, "Okay."

...

Sharon called Rusty on their way home.

The poor kid had been frantic when he heard of the explosion and couldn't reach his mother since her phone had gotten smashed in the blast. He could have left the DA's office and looked for Sharon himself, it was just a short walking distance to LAPD headquarters, but Hobbs had convinced him to stay put. The entire block had been sealed off anyway, and it didn't matter whose son he was, nobody would have let him inside the perimeter. So Rusty had bombarded Andy's phone with texts and calls instead. And while Andy had responded more quickly, reassuring him that Sharon and the team were alright, he had been made to promise she would call him herself the moment she could. So that was exactly what Andy had done, hand Sharon his phone to finally call Rusty the moment she sat into his car's passenger seat.

Andy wasn't surprised that Sharon rather insisted Rusty stay at work. She was reeling from the day's events, and while she would probably feel a bit guilty for talking Rusty out of rushing home later, right now she would prefer to relax without Rusty hovering over her. It was also why he wasn't surprised when, after making sure Rusty would indeed not be heading home within the next three hours, she sighed in relief and spent the rest of the ride in silence.

However, he was surprised by the sentence that ultimately lifted it. And on the elevator toward their condo of all places.

"I am absolutely furious with you," she said quietly, eyes set on the doors in front of them.

He gave her a wide-eyed look. Had she not practically told him earlier they'd discuss that tomorrow? What befuddled him even more were her introductory words to the topic. He knew she would not appreciate his stunt today, but he had not expected fury to be a feeling she'd associate with him for it.

He heaved a sigh. "Yeah, well, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

He regretted his retort even before she huffed her annoyance. But he nearly flinched when she pinned him with a look of pure disbelief. "Your heartbeat is precisely why I'm furious!"

The elevator doors dinged open and, before he could find a response, she walked out, leading the way to the condo in renewed silence. He frowned at her but followed in equal silence. Just like her he wasn't too keen on airing their dirty laundry, if one could call it that, in the hallway.

That she wasn't exaggerating when she said she was furious was properly displayed for him upon entering the condo. In a few curt, jagged movements, she took off her suit jacket and shoes, and walked straight into their bedroom.

It was so uncharacteristic of her, that he didn't even bother with his own shoes and jacket, but immediately went after her. He wondered if he had been wrong about her silence on their way home being an attempt to come down from the events of the day. Perhaps she had been trying to keep a lid on her temper instead. He quickly put the thought aside, however, when he found her sitting on the ottoman at the foot of the bed looking rather exhausted all of a sudden. He thought a bit of exasperation joined her current anger.

He took a breath and leaned a shoulder against the doorframe. "He didn't know my face." He spoke calmly. "I was the only one on the team he would not have," he cleared his throat, "he _didn't_ recognize."

She looked at him sharply. "And what was your brilliant plan there?" she asked sarcastically.

Andy shrugged. "Make sure he didn't get away."

She frowned. "You went against your doctor's orders. You went against Lieutenant Provenza's orders." She paused and disappointment joined her agitated expression. "You went against _my_ orders."

Andy shifted on his spot and folded his arms over his chest in a surprising display of smugness. "Is that last bit bugging my Captain or my fiancée?"

Sharon got to her feet and, folding her own arms, fixed him with a glare. "Do not make light of this, _Lieutenant_." She hissed his rank. "I am your commanding officer, I am responsible for your actions as much as you are. And had something happened-" She abruptly snapped her mouth shut. When she swallowed, he wanted to smack himself over the head with something.

He realized it was an idiotic question to ask. Just how challenging this balancing act of theirs was had rarely been this obvious. He unfolded his arms, but remained in his place, giving her space for the time being. "I'm sorry. Write me up, suspend me, do whatever it is the rules say you should do, but," he took a single step forward to finally enter the room, "if this," he waved a hand at her, "was still the outcome, I'd do it again without hesitation."

"Oh," her voice took on a low, dangerous timbre, "I am writing you up. As is your partner for that matter."

Andy's eyebrows shot up. "Provenza's writing me up?"

Sharon smirked. "As a favor to me," she informed him over a single nod of her head.

Andy was caught in between a laugh and a scoff. He couldn't decide what was more incredulous, that Provenza agreed to this at all, or that the two had managed to come to this agreement without him noticing. After all, he had barely let Sharon out of his sight after finding her earlier. "Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath. "Would you have found the bomb in time had I not stalled the guy?" he asked, annoyed suddenly.

"That's beside the point," Sharon waved him off. "Fact remains, you sh-"

"Oh, no, it's not," Andy interrupted, waving a finger at her. "That goddamn bomb could have otherwise killed you just like it did that SID officer! Don't you dare tell me it's besides the point!"

"Andy, you-" Sharon tried to reason but he wouldn't let her.

"No!" Andy had no idea what came over him, but suddenly he raised his voice, unable to prevent the words from bursting out of him. "Twice, in a single week, I watched smoke swallow you up! Twice," he put up two fingers, "I nearly had another heart attack not knowing if you, or the team, were alright. You don't get to tell me to just idly stand by and watch!" He took a breath. "You just don't," he reiterated quietly. "I'm a police officer for heaven's sake, not a desk monkey!" he added in a huff.

She stayed mum for a moment as if expecting him to say more. When he didn't, she finally spoke up. "That second time was your fault alone," she pointed out. Ignoring his eye roll, she went on evenly. "And I am not telling you to _idly stand by and watch_." She repeated his words indignantly. "I am telling you to not pull stunts like those," she slowed down to a deliberate pace, "without letting somebody know."

Andy scoffed and laced his response with sarcasm. "Because you'd have let me go if I'd just asked nicely?"

A small smile touched her lips and she tilted her head to the side. "No, I wouldn't. You're still banned from field work."

He threw his arms out in disbelief. "And that's supposed to, what? Make me feel better?"

"No," her smile receded, "it's supposed to remind you of things such as protocol and chain of command."

"Really?" Andy asked sarcastically.

"Yes, really," she replied flippantly. "I haven't seen such blatant disregard of protocol and disrespect for the chain of command since I first took over the division!" She glanced at the ceiling and added, "And from you of all people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andy pounced, folding his arms defensively. "You'd let it slide if it was Julio or anybody else on the team?" He glared at her as if daring her to confirm that.

"Don't be ridiculous," she retorted in a no nonsense kind of way. "You know exactly what I mean," she added less heatedly.

And there the lines blurred again. She could preach objectivity till she was blue in the face, but the fact of the matter was that it was him she trusted the most. It was him she expected incidents like these the least from. "I know," he grumbled and walked further into the room. Stopping within reaching distance of her, he added in a softer tone of voice, "But I will not apologize for going behind your," he offered a small smile, "or my Captain's back." He shook his head and grazed the side of her arm. "Not when I know what could have happened had I stayed with you guys."

She took a long breath, then slowly let it out before responding. "I understand," she spoke softly and reached out for one of his hands. Dropping her gaze on it, she added, "But until now, I never worried about you taking off like that." Her look was hard when she lifted her eyes to his again. "Now I do," she said regretfully, "and that is absolutely unacceptable, Andy. Here," she squeezed his hand, "that goes without saying. But especially," there was heat behind the words, "at work. I cannot rely on you like the rest of the team if, at any given moment, you might go rogue on us just because you're fed up with being stuck behind a desk."

Her conclusion hit him like a ton of bricks and, taking half a step back, he reclaimed his hand and swallowed. "You can always rely on me," he disagreed. "All of you."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Surely you can see why I might see it somewhat differently right now."

He sighed and dropped his head. "Yeah," he agreed reluctantly.

"So," she took a step forward and only went on when he looked up again, "you will not argue if I put you on a tighter leash for a while?"

Andy frowned, hating the idea of becoming even more restricted at work than he already was. Still, he just muttered, "Might as well take my punishment in silence."

Sharon smiled, relaxing for the first time since they started this discussion. "That's settled then."

He shook his head at her, but relaxed, too, glad to face any consequences as long as they cleared the air between them. A thought popped into his head then. "I thought your agitation had to do with my heartbeat?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

She almost deviously raised an eyebrow at him, and Andy grimaced. Maybe he should have left that thought alone. "It most certainly has." Just how certainly was emphasized by her low tone of voice.

He raised his palms up in surrender. "Nothing happened. It was those explosions that wreaked havoc on my blood pressure." He lowered his hands and shrugged. "Not my walk across the street."

She pursed her lips in displeasure. "If the LAPD isn't happy with your current medical status, rest assured that neither am I." Her expression softened and she added, "And not because I worry about the department's liability."

He sighed. "I know." He couldn't help the bit of exasperation that tinted his words. It wasn't the first time she pointed any of this out.

She shook her head and sighed as well. "If something had happened to you and I had no clue where you were..."

There would have been plenty passers-by to call 911 for him, but he knew better than to point out the obvious, especially when it wasn't the point she was trying to make. Instead, trying to lift the mood a bit, he asked, "You sure you weren't just worried then?"

She scoffed. "Oh, if only it was that simple, Andy." She heaved a breath, and Andy braced himself for a long explanation. "Have you any idea what kind of dread washed over me when I heard your voice next to Ortiz's? Or what kind of thoughts flooded my mind when I realized the implications, consequences and possible outcomes of your being with him? Trust me," she shook her head, and her voice dipped an octave, "I wasn't just worried." She took another breath, and her voice returned to its usual timbre. "I was, still am, absolutely furious with you, that you would put yourself at risk like that without sparing anything else a second thought."

He understood where she was coming from. As if their line of work wasn't dangerous enough, when topped with his health issues, those dangers and the coinciding worry grew exponentially. He could also see how his current status at work probably provided her with a sort of safety net, a guarantee that he would not be exposed to more stress than he could handle at the moment. Of course she would be mad at him for knowingly jumping into a situation that would put him under more pressure than his doctor or the LAPD believed he could take. Still, he frowned at her. "I don't think I'm that fragile, Sharon," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes at him and poked a finger painfully into his chest. "I don't care what you think or don't think," she bit out. "When it comes to this," she spread out her fingers and placed her palm above his heart, "your doctor and the LAPD are to think for you."

His brows drew together in annoyance. "Even if they think chaining me to a desk for the rest of my career is my only option?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She smiled sadly, and nodded. "Especially then, Andy," she said thickly.

It was a possibility he was stubbornly refusing to accept, and these past few days only reminded him of the reasons why. He took hold of her hand and, removing it from his chest, looked at it. "I felt like a real cop today for the first time since I've had this stupid heart attack." He looked up and found her watching their hands as well. "The rest of the time I've been feeling more like a secretary," he added gruffly.

"I know," she let out on a sympathetic smile, meeting his eyes again. "But I, professionally and personally," he smiled a little at the clarification, "cannot have you play hero when we're not covered on all fronts."

"I wasn't playin-" shaking his head, he let go of that argument. "It won't happen again," he promised instead.

She squeezed his hand and smiled. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

He chuckled a little. It really was a promise he might go back on. "What do you propose instead, Captain?"

She let go of his hand and shrugged. "Don't throw fits when we start keeping a more watchful eye on you, Lieutenant."

He suppressed a groan. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." She smiled brightly and there was no way for him to suppress an eye roll at her satisfied expression. She didn't mind though as she took half a step forward, effectively invading his personal space. "Now..." Before his brain could even catch up with her suggestive tone of voice, she kissed him.

He was taken by surprise, but recovered quickly. Kissing her back eagerly, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her impossibly closer. He was suddenly struck by the enormity of what had happened today, of how the day could have ended, and he did not feel like letting go of her ever again.

However, Sharon had other ideas apparently. On a hum, just as quickly as she started it, she ended the kiss and pulled back.

He gave her a puzzled look. "What was that for?"

Her shrug was coy but she answered in a thick voice. "Because I still can."

He took a sharp breath as the meaning of her words washed over him. "Two times," he choked out and shook his head, unable to voice the terrifying thought.

"I know," she said barely above a whisper.

He pulled her back into his embrace and took a long, soothing breath when she murmured, "I'm fine."

"Just give me a minute," he mumbled back, tightening his hold on her, "and I'll be, too."

She chuckled and let him indulge. When, after more than a minute, he still did not let go, she finally said, "I need to shower, Andy."

He lifted his head to look at her, loosening his arms around her. "Need any help?" he asked, smirking at her.

She smirked back. "Some clean clothes would be nice," she said, slipping out of his hold to walk toward the bathroom.

"That wasn't the kind of help I had in mind," he told her, but went the other way toward their closet to do as asked. She was, after all, still in clothes covered in dust and dirt from the explosion.

"Company, too," he suddenly heard her add.

He picked up his pace, hastily grabbing some clothes for the both of them, while simultaneously toeing off his shoes. "God, I love you," he said on a groan.

When he heard her laugh, a laugh he might have not heard ever again had the day ended differently, he paused and smiled to himself.

Thank God she could also still laugh.

* * *

 _ **That is it, guys. My final additional scene this season.**_

 _ **I've had immense fun writing these and I hope you've had fun reading them. I know it's still a long hiatus away, but I'm already looking forward to giving more add-ons a try once season 6 takes off. However, do scream and shout if you think I should cease and desist!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, following, liking and reviewing. See you around! :)**_


	36. 6x01

_**Lo and behold, I have started writing add-ons again! Since, as you know, I don't like straying from canon, I waited for a few epis to air to make sure I wouldn't, so it took me a while to start posting, but here I am with my first add-on for season 6.**_

 ** _Special thanks go to my partner in crime, who no longer goes by the username MajorCFan, but escapewithstories. She may have a new username, but know that she's as helpful, awesome and wonderful as ever. :)  
_**

 ** _Now, onto my add-on..._**

* * *

With a knock, Andy let himself inside Sharon's office. As he closed the door, he announced, "Team's calling it a night." Which was what she ordered them to do after the interview with Nuñez was over and she finished her impromptu meeting with Andrea.

Sharon looked up from the stack of papers on her desk and nodded. "Good," her eyes flickered toward the murder room where the team was in fact nearly done packing up, "we'll get nowhere running on fumes."

"Speaking of which," Andy leaned against one of the chairs in front of her desk, and eyed her meaningfully.

She threw him a bland look, then, at a deliberate pace, closed the open folder on her desk. "Happy?" she asked on a challenging raise of her eyebrow, the word failing to convey the exasperated bite she had hoped for.

"Only if I can drive?" Andy asked hopefully, offering her a crooked half-smile. She had come down with the flu before Mike and Nolan had, taking longer than them to shake it off, too, but that did not discourage her from returning to work when they did. As a compromise, since Andy worried about her lingering bouts of dizziness, he insisted on at least being the one driving her to and from work until the doctor gave her a completely clean bill of health. She had agreed because really, she hadn't felt fit to drive, but that morning she decided she was finally feeling well enough to take the wheel herself. Andy wasn't sure she really was as well as she claimed to be, or if it was the nature of their case that made her insist on driving herself, but relented, glad he would at least still be able to keep an eye on her from the passenger seat. However, now, when for once she actually even looked as exhausted as he knew she felt, he gave changing her mind one more try.

Sharon pursed her lips. "I don't think so."

Andy straightened, rolling his eyes at her despite more than understanding her insistence. Hovering, as it turned out, was something they were both good at and could be equally irritated with. "Then no," he said in just barely mock-petulance, "not happy at all." The decisive nod of his head and the finality with which he tugged on his jacket to smooth it out coaxed a small amused smile out of her, but Andy knew he was fighting a losing battle and decided he was glad she at least agreed to head home. Even if the fact that she stood and started gathering her folders into her purse indicated she planned on bringing work home, too. It was then that he noted the color of some of those folders. Several of them were not the usual, buff color, and his heart dropped into his stomach when his mind jumped to the worst conclusion. Questioningly, he started, "Sharon-"

"I'm fine, Andy," she cut him off over an exasperated roll of her eyes even as she smiled at him indulgently.

Andy couldn't really fault her for thinking he was going to inquire about her health status, his tone of voice was in fact reminiscent of the one he used for that particular question, but he still looked a little put out when he blandly said, "That's not what I was going to ask." He waved a hand at her, as he now noticed, somewhat fidgety state. "Something's up." He tilted his chin upwards indicating her folders. "It's not Stroh again, is it?" he asked, praying that he was wrong.

She waved the last folder intended for her purse at him, her heavy sigh and the way her face fell a little as she looked at him revealing she had hoped to bring him into the loop only after they arrived home. "It is."

Andy's shoulders slumped and he heaved a sigh of his own. "Ugh."

"Exactly," Sharon agreed with his less than eloquent response, finally stuffing the file into her purse. "That's why Andrea pulled me out of the interview earlier." She shrugged a single shoulder and added distractedly, "Although I did fill her in on the case, too."

Andy flopped onto the couch behind him, his hands landing on his knees to rub them worriedly. "Another one?" The fifth one, actually.

"Stroh's stepmother," Sharon confirmed, pushing her chair under the desk and taking her blazer off the back of it. "The DA's office decided to put Emma Rios under protection. Brenda as well," she added, slipping into the blazer. The pointed end of her sentence suggested Andy should figure out the rest himself.

The certainty in his words confirmed that he did. "They're recommending a detail for Rusty, too."

Sharon released her hair from her collar and nodded. "It happened in Arizona." Her hands ran over her blazer, but finding pockets non-existent, she settled on tugging on the lapels of it instead, the continued fidgeting mirroring her growing concern. "He's getting closer, Andy," she added, the way her voice temporarily turned hollow probably why she hadn't intended to discuss this at work.

"Son of a bitch!" Andy growled through gritted teeth. "I still can't be-" He closed his mouth when his eyes landed on Sharon and he quickly got to his feet.

As she looked away, she had taken a ragged breath, her fingers coming up to her mouth, like they usually did when composure threatened to slip away from her. She shook her head at him at his action though, stopping him in his tracks before he could get even halfway to her side of the desk. Taking a deep, calming breath, she steeled her voice and decisively said, "Let's just go home." Refusing to meet Andy's alarmed gaze, she proceeded to grab her purse and started for the door.

None of that prevented Andy from grasping her wrist when she reached him. Once she came to a halt, he made sure to catch her eye. His tone was low and gravelly. "We," he tilted his head toward the by then empty murder room, "won't let anything happen to him." Or you, he added mentally, not entirely sure Stroh would keep her off his list of targets.

Her gaze remained sad, but a corner of her mouth twitched upward gratefully, and she put her other hand over his, her thumb stroking the back of it as if _she_ was reassuring _him_. "I know," she said thickly.

"Good," Andy said, the touch of finality indicating he was dropping the subject for now. He took hold of her hand, both glad and worried to feel her latch onto it tightly, and led them out of her office. Hoping to lighten the mood a bit, or rather distract her a little by annoying her, when they reached the elevators, he asked, "Keys, please?" For show, he even put a hand out, palm up, and expectantly wiggled his fingers at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, reading right through his intentions. "Not a chance, Lieutenant." She lightly smacked his hand away.

He grunted in a half-hearted protest. "Stubborn, in-"

She bumped her shoulder against his, but it was the amusing smile which finally reached her eyes that cut Andy's muttering short, and he grinned back instead.

When the elevator arrived, unsurprisingly empty given the hour, and they stepped inside, Sharon quickly wrapped her other hand around Andy's arm, momentarily leaning into him, and mumbled, "Thank you."

Surprised, he looked at her with raised eyebrows, but quickly recovered. "Anytime, Sharon." He patted her hand with his, then pressed a button to get them moving. "Any time," he repeated.

* * *

 _ **I hope you enjoyed this! Any thoughts on it will be much appreciated. :)**_


	37. 6x02

_**Here are two little additions to 6x02. The first scene is with Sharon and Andy at home, the second one is with Sharon and Rusty, shortly before the scene at the firing range.**_

 _ **As always, sending thanks to escapewithstories, my trusted beta and sounding board.**_

* * *

When Andy pulled out of his slumber, he knew that Sharon was already awake even without opening his eyes. She hadn't slept well ever since coming down with that flu, and their current case only prolonged her already sleepless nights. The latest news on Stroh didn't help ease her mind either. Keeping his eyes shut, he let out a sleepy, protesting groan, for he really hated having to get up and start their day, and shuffled closer to her, snuggling into her back while wrapping an arm around her. When she sighed drowsily, he mumbled, "Awake long?"

Her non-committal hum was answer enough, and as much as he hated that sleep continually eluded her, he took comfort in the fact that at least she was spending her vigils in bed instead of in the living room or balcony like she had after the Dwight shooting. The memory reminded him of a subject he had not had the energy to broach the previous night and, thinking it best to just rip the bandaid right off, he suddenly said, "Rusty wants a gun."

He felt her stiffen underneath his arm before letting out a long breath and relaxing again. "He asked _you_?" The question should have sounded accusatory or at least shocked, but instead the words carried, much to Andy's surprise, something akin to resignation, even expectation, as if she had seen this coming. She didn't wait for his answer and added another question, that one sounding more like a conclusion. "Is that why he pulled you aside yesterday?"

Andy lifted his head and hummed affirmatively. "You don't sound surprised," he told her, leaning forward to see her face, the little furrow of his brow revealing he was failing to get a proper read on her.

She rolled over on her back, forcing him to scoot a little to give her enough space. "He was talking about more _proficient_ ways of protecting himself the other day." Her exasperated eyeroll made Andy chuckle despite the rather serious topic.

"And?" he urged her on, bending his arm at the elbow and resting his head in his hand. He could guess what decision she had already made and, despite his qualms about it, found himself not being all that much surprised by it.

"And," she repeated, taking a deep breath and letting her eyes wander to their bedroom ceiling, "Rusty's an adult." She turned her head towards Andy again and managed a half-hearted smile. "I should be happy he's still asking for permission."

Andy frowned, looking intensely at his fingers that were drawing lazy patterns across her abdomen. "Only because he wants your help to get a concealed carry permit."

Her brow drew together as well, she was just as unimpressed with that idea as he was, but she again weakly smiled. "Still."

She made a valid point, but Andy still sighed as he mumbled a reluctantly agreeing, "Yeah."

Sharon reached a hand out to his face and rubbed her fingers gently over the worried lines on his forehead. "What do _you_ think?"

"Well," he started, the breath he took temporarily thinning his voice, "I may have," the words dripped with sarcasm, "implied he was crazy when he asked me, so," he raised an eyebrow at her and his look turned bland, "what do _you_ think I think?"

This time her smile was bright and amused and she breathed out a small chuckle. Rather thoughtfully, however, she said, "I'd rather he not go about getting a gun on his own."

Andy sighed again, both at the loss of contact when she pulled back her hand and at her words. "I know, me, too."

She hummed and squeezed his hand that was still on her stomach. She let it all sink in for a second before tugging on his hand and saying, "Come on, time to get up."

With a groan, she made an attempt to pull herself up, but Andy moved his hand and gripped her hip, pulling her down and toward him as he dropped his head to her shoulder. "Not yet," he murmured. Snuggling closer and slipping his leg between hers to keep her from moving, he added, "There's so much going on," he groaned, "can't we just enjoy this quiet for a few more moments?" He tilted his head, and pressed a blind kiss somewhere along her jawline. "Just indulge me, would you?"

The fact that she put up no, even half-hearted, fight let him know she felt the same way. She put her hand over his arm and turned slightly sideways, just enough for her lips to meet the top of his head. Her thoughts remained on her son, however. "I should schedule a session at the firing range."

"Well," he tightened his hold on her, nuzzling her neck, "who better to teach him than you?" He lifted his head a little and wagged his eyebrows at her. "I wouldn't mind a lesson either."

She chuckled, but pulled a straight face as she asked, "As your commanding officer, is there something you're not telling me?"

Andy grinned at her teasing tone and shook his head. "Only that my boss is a better shot than me, but," he lowered his head and quickly kissed her, "you already know that."

An eyebrow and corner of her mouth lifted in that way that bordered on being smug. "I do." The words oozed with shameless confidence.

Andy chuckled and just took a moment to look at her. He liked these mornings of theirs, the few moments he got to see of her before she put on her work attire and makeup. He reveled in seeing this side of her and marvelled at the fact that she was more than content to let him. He grinned at her when he noted that her gaze turned from teasing to adoring and leaned in to kiss her and make sure it stayed there. She closed her eyes and half-moaned, half-hummed into the kiss, and he beamed a smile when he pulled back and her eyes fluttered opened slightly dazed. He found her perfect just then, peaceful and relaxed. Only the faint dark circles around her eyes and her heavy eyelids that were not the result of residual sleepiness tarnished the picture. He wished she'd slow down, take a moment to rest up. Lately, everything had been happening at such an intense pace, both at work and at home, that he worried there was only so long she could keep up with it before she regretted not heeding either his or Rusty's pleas to take a break. Knowing better than to insist on it once more, he simply hoped that her stubbornness alone would somehow be enough and she soon really would be at a _hundred percent_. Until then, all he could do was keep an eye on her, whether she liked it or not.

"So Rusty asked you to _handle_ me?" Sharon's wondrous sounding words snapped Andy out of his musings. She was smiling at him, tight-lipped, bordering on dangerous, but the way the corners of her eyes crinkled betrayed her amusement.

Andy latched onto that amusement. They both knew there was no handling, or worse, manipulating her. Only wearing down her resolve a little was possible, but the ease with which she could wrap both him and Rusty around her little finger without them really even noticing (or minding) until it was too late made him not entirely sure of that. Despite that knowledge, suggestively, he smirked and said, "Smart kid, knows I have my ways."

Her smile relaxed and she ran her fingers affectionately through his sleep-tousled hair. "You have indeed," she agreed.

He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. Admitting that they could no longer lazy about, he suddenly groaned and dropped his forehead to hers. "Work," he grumbled.

A laugh burst out of her, shaking him, and he grinned, not lifting his head just yet. She put a hand on each side of his face and gently pried it away from hers. "Work," she confirmed, but only untangled herself from him after kissing him, motivationally.

She motivated him alright, but he still buried his face in her pillow when she slipped out of bed, not feeling like getting up just yet. In a way, he _was_ itching to get back to work and continue looking for those boys. However, not looking forward to going to the morgue first thing had him drag his feet. Notifying a parent of the loss of their child was heart-breaking enough, watching them come face to face with that loss was even worse. He lifted his head when, on her way to the bathroom, Sharon smacked his foot. "Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, pushing himself up. Once on his feet, he peered into the bathroom. "I'm going to the morgue alone, aren't I?" It was just then that the thought occurred to him.

She looked at him, pausing in her motion to put some toothpaste on her toothbrush, a guilty grimace on her face. "I should talk to Rusty," she explained, "call the firing range, too."

He'd assumed as much and nodded. Grabbing their covers to set about straightening their bed, he added, "I'll have Mike meet me there instead then."

"Thank you," he heard before the sound of running water reached him, quickly followed by the sound of her starting to brush her teeth.

* * *

Rusty had barely been at the firing range for three minutes, but he was already both impressed and more than a tad intimidated by his mother. Whomever Sharon and he passed on the way to their firing lane greeted her with a, for the most part, polite nod and the word 'Commander' on their lips. A few added an odd nicety or two, inquiring about 'the young man' accompanying her and Sharon's polite, but relaxed response made Rusty realize just how well she fit in there.

Almost too well.

It wasn't that he ever really forgot the fact that Sharon was known by most everybody within the department, and with good reason, but all of a sudden somehow their surroundings made that glaringly (and unnervingly) obvious to him. He was so used to Sharon in mother mode at home or in Commander mode in the murder room that he sometimes did forget that there was more to her job than just leading her team from the safety of her office. He knew she went out into the field, saw her in action once firsthand even, but somehow walking through the firing range, this odd sense of familiarity, rather than just her usual confidence around her, all but screamed at him that his mother was far from just the thinker, paper pusher and order issuer that he was witness to most of the time.

"Cat got your tongue?" Sharon asked, an amused smile on her face as she eyed and snapped him out of his musings.

Forcing himself to relax, curious, he asked, "How often do you come here?" He suddenly realized that in all his time living with her, although she had occasionally informed him of having to go to the firing range, he had no idea how many times she went, or for what reasons.

"Often enough," Sharon replied, raising an eyebrow at him before elaborating, "I have to get qualified for my service weapon twice a year."

"Ever failed?" Rusty asked, smirking.

Sharon pursed her lips, her eyebrow twitching upward for a second, amused. "Not since I first successfully qualified." She sounded almost smug, when she added, "Never below a 95% score either."

Rusty suppressed an eye roll. "Is there anything you're not good at?" he asked exasperatedly.

They had reached their lane, so Sharon came to a stop and turned to face him, a pleased smile on her lips. "No," she shook her head, "I don't think so."

Rusty chuckled, then looked around, their surroundings slowly sobering him. "So," he shrugged his shoulders, "this is it."

"It is indeed." Sharon walked up to the workbench behind them, lifting two ear protectors of their hooks. "These," she said, offering Rusty a pair, "are a must around here."

Rusty nodded, taking a steeling breath before accepting the proffered item, as if he were already handling a gun. "Okay."

"Now," Sharon walked toward the window in front of the already put up target, putting her earmuffs on and unclipping her weapon from her holster, "a demonstration," she announced, eyeing Rusty meaningfully.

Rusty scrambled to cover his ears, suddenly nervous, and took a step back to give her space.

Sharon lifted an eyebrow questioningly, and when Rusty nodded that he was ready, she assumed position, taking a somewhat rigid stance, wrapping both hands properly around her handgun. She paused to show Rusty how to release the safety, then focused on the black drawing of her target, and released five rounds in rapid succession.

Despite the noise muffling gear on his head, Rusty still flinched at the first and blinked at each following fired shot, not even noticing Sharon lowering her weapon before pressing the button to slide the target back. Instead, he focused on the increasingly larger hole in the middle of the painted figure's chest, right where an 'x' had been just a few seconds ago.

It was Sharon's sudden snort of a laugh that snapped Rusty out of it. He suddenly pushed past her and nearly tore the target of its clasps. "Now you're just showing off."

The corner of her mouth quirking upward said, "Maybe," but when she actually spoke she had become serious. "It's all about practice, Rusty." She patted his arm encouragingly, then took her target off his hands for a proper inspection. Satisfied with what she saw, she nodded to herself and folded the paper neatly before putting it down. "It might seem easy," she looked at him pointedly, "but I assure you it is not." She waved a hand around them. "There are no distractions here, no real danger, no worry about the safety of others, no pressure or fear that triggers panic, and lastly," she tapped her folded paper victim, "the enemy obviously puts up no fight."

Rusty listened attentively, nodding at each of her points. He was eager to give it a try himself though. "So where do we start?"

Sharon lifted her gun, and pressed the button at the base of the trigger guard, releasing the empty magazine. "First up," she finally said, taking the magazine out, "is safety." She moved the slide, checking for live rounds, and finding none, slid it back into position. "I'll show you how to do this and how to disassemble and assemble the gun altogether in a minute, but for now," she clicked the magazine back into its place, and suddenly handed Rusty the gun, "get a feel for it unloaded," she instructed, but didn't let go when Rusty's hand wrapped around it.

"Okay," Rusty said apprehensively, his eyes on the gun. That's when Sharon finally released her hold on it. "I never really held a gun," he said, wondrous as his hand moved up and down, as if weighing it, "it's lighter than I thought it'd be."

He looked up at Sharon and found her watching him, an almost sad expression on her face. "It's heavy enough." Her words carried a rather pointed weight, too. She offered a small, rueful smile to add, "And I wish you never did hold a gun."

Her tone of voice was so regretful that Rusty dropped his gaze, starting to fidget with the weapon in his hands. "I _need_ ," he started, plucking up the courage to meet her eyes again, "to be able to protect myself. You said it yourself," he pointed his free hand at her, "I'm an adult now. So, isn't it time I started relying on somebody other than you?" He shrugged. "You, or Andy, the team, bodyguards… you can't protect me forever."

"Oh," Sharon's voice dipped low and she shook her head in disagreement, "I can," she said sternly. "And I most certainly will."

It wasn't the first time that Sharon's absolute conviction made Rusty both uncomfortable and oddly soothed, and he found himself swallowing down the wave of emotion that came over him. "But," he decided to press on with the matter at hand and his eyes flickered toward the bullet riddled wall, "you'll still teach me how to use a gun?" Suddenly, he worried she had changed her mind.

"Sometimes," Sharon started, her tone somewhat lighter, teasing even, "I need to protect you from yourself, too," she squeezed his forearm, giving him a look that said she was only half-joking, "so, yes, I will still teach you how to properly and," she shot him a pointed glare, " _safely_ use a firearm." Her voice suddenly softened, and she added, "But Rusty…"

He swallowed when she trailed off, the scrutiny in her gaze making him squirm. "What?"

"This," she clasped his hand that held the gun, "will not guarantee your safety. Nor will feeling threatened justify using it. Only if," she took a breath, struggling to voice the possibility, "you find yourself in a situation with no other way out, your life, or someone else's, hanging in the balance, are you to even think about firing it." She squeezed his hand. "Is that understood?"

"I won't be trigger happy, mom," Rusty said, rolling his eyes at her, "I promise."

Sharon did not appreciate his response. She tilted her head to the side and glared at him. "Rusty," she started warningly.

Rusty swallowed again, recognizing his error. "I know, mom," he said apologetically. "The gun is my absolute last option," he clarified, completely serious now.

"Exactly," she said, letting go of his hand. "Now we can continue with," she waved her hand around, "this."

Relieved that they would finally be getting down to business after all, Rusty squared his shoulders and nodded. "Okay then," he started on a sigh, "safety? And checking for bullets?" he asked, referring to the first two things she demonstrated. "Mind repeating that in slow motion?" He offered her her weapon back.

Accepting it, she smiled and set about repeating her earlier process. "Watch closely…"

* * *

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this. :)**_


	38. 6x03

_**First of all: OMG OMG SHANDY IS MARRIED. MARRIED. SHARON'S HEART HAS NEVER BEEN SO FULL. NEVER. *_***_

 _ **Okay, now that I got that out of my system...**_

 _ **I'm glad you enjoyed the previous two chapters. Thank you for the kind reviews and messages! :)  
**_ ** _Let's hope my addition to 6x03 doesn't disappoint. This time I focus on Andy and Rusty._**

 _ **As always, here's a shoutout to the wonderful escapewithstories. Posting any stories without her 'nitpicking' has become unimaginable.**_

* * *

When Rusty arrived home, he was surprised to find Andy alone in the living room, watching TV. "Hey," he greeted, dropping his bag to the floor. He glanced over his shoulder toward their bedroom. "Where's Mom?"

"Ah," Andy tilted his head toward Rusty, but his eyes remained glued to the TV, "still at work." There was a hint of annoyance in his tone, and Rusty had a feeling he wasn't even bothering trying to cover it up.

He sank down into one of the chairs next to the coffee table, and muttered sarcastically, "Perks of being Commander."

"Perks alright," Andy said on a scoff, then finally looked Rusty's way, a surprisingly expectant look on his face all of a sudden. "Got any plans for tonight?"

Thrown off by the unexpected inquiry, Rusty scratched his knee and let out a lame, "Uhm..." On a questioning lilt, he then finally answered, "No, not really."

Andy perked up a little at that and turned fully to face Rusty, his hands clasping the armrest of the couch. "Up for some shooting practice then?"

Rusty's eyebrows went up, and he sat up ramrod straight. "Right now?"

"Why not?" Andy replied on a shrug. "Sharon won't be home for a few more hours, there's nothing on TV," as if to make his point, he turned it off and tossed the remote over his shoulder onto the couch, "and God knows you can use all the practice you can get."

Rusty stiffened and shot him a bland look. "I'm not that bad."

Andy smirked, but refrained from teasing him further. "So," he lifted his chin challengingly, "you wanna go or not?"

Rusty was not about to decline an offer such as that one, and within half an hour they found themselves at the firing range. The place was oddly quiet, not many people having the same idea as them, so they were able to occupy the last two firing lanes and enjoy a rather private setting for their shooting practice.

Practicing with Andy was slightly more different than with his mother. First of all, the atmosphere at the range felt far less charged without Sharon, the lack of her rank barrier making Andy's interactions with his colleagues more informal, which in turn made Rusty feel more at ease. At the same time, however, Rusty got the distinct feeling that Andy was much less inclined to allow him to go through with his training than Sharon was. He had grumbled about it on more than one occasion, never truly dismissing Rusty's reasoning or completely disagreeing that all of this was bound to do him more good than bad, but he had grumbled about it nonetheless, insisting, just as adamantly as Sharon actually, that he should take on a protective detail as well. Rusty could have also sworn that the first time he agreed to taking him down for practice himself, the man had questioned his own sanity at least once under his breath. Yet, somehow practicing with Andy wasn't as intense as it was with Sharon. It was equally as challenging, for they both had the same expectations of him, and they focused on very much the same things, but Sharon's rather meticulous, as opposed to Andy's more ad-lib approach, made his sessions with the man feel somewhat more relaxed–even if there was also a slightly light-hearted element of fun there with both of them.

That evening, however, that element was sorely missing. Despite keeping up their usual banter, Andy was tense, sullen even. His mood was making Rusty quite uncomfortable, and it certainly wasn't helping his concentration, but it wasn't until Andy challenged him to beat his score that day, that Rusty decided to address the matter.

Unsurprisingly, Andy still outshot him, but in the few times they had been together, his score had never been that low. It wasn't a failing score by any means, but it was low enough to give Rusty pause. When, upon inspection of his handiwork, Andy merely shrugged as though he wasn't bothered by his poor performance, Rusty's suspicions were confirmed. He hadn't been giving it his usual best because his mind was elsewhere, and it didn't take a genius to figure out where.

When Andy took his earmuffs off, Rusty followed suit, and even though he knew his question would make it glaringly obvious he wasn't just prying into their work, said, "How'd Mom's confession go?"

"Good enough for her to still be stuck at the office." Andy's response was muttered instantly, indicating just how closely to the surface his troubles were really bubbling. He took out his irritation on the paper target by crushing it into a ball with a few jerked movements. What surprised Rusty more than his small outburst was when much more calmly, softly almost, he added, "She won't admit it, but I can tell she's not feeling well."

Rusty had noticed as much himself, but Andy actually voicing it intensified his worry. "Something happen today?"

"No," he answered, drawing out the syllable on a sigh." Under his breath, he added, "Nothing obvious at least."

"But?" Rusty waved his earmuffs through the air, urging Andy to elaborate.

"But if she keeps this up," Andy shrugged, and turned around to put away his ear gear. "I'm kind of expecting something to."

When Andy turned back again, Rusty mumbled, his mood plummeting too now, "It's not just her shaking off the flu, is it?"

As if anticipating the musing Rusty was going to share next, Andy shook his head at him and said, "I don't think it's just worrying about Stroh either." He suddenly threw his hands out in frustration. "It's this goddamn case, those kids and the Church, and," he hesitated, hating to say it, but ploughing on nonetheless, "the wedding being just around the corner."

"She just needs a break," Rusty concluded, sounding more hopeful than convinced.

"Yeah," Andy agreed, before his look turned dark and he challenged sarcastically, "but go ahead," he twirled his hand around in a circle, "try talking her into it." He heaved a deep, bitter sigh. "God knows I couldn't."

Rusty doubted he'd be any more successful than Andy, but quite determinedly said, "I just might."

Andy chuckled mirthlessly. They were a rather pathetic duo when it came to worrying about Sharon Raydor. He started packing up their stuff, and after a few moments of silence, his demeanor shifted, his movements become less jagged and more fluid. Quietly, somewhat of a weariness seeping into his tone, he said, "Sorry, Kid." He threw him a lost look. "She's just-"

"Driving you crazy?" Rusty interjected, pausing on his way to put away his earmuffs. Not waiting for a response, he added, "I've been living with her for 6 years, trust me," he shot Andy a wide-eyed look and nodded his head, "I can relate. And unlike you," he closed the rest of the distance toward the workbench and finally hung up his earmuffs, "I didn't have the benefit of stopping by here to work my frustrations off."

Andy holstered his weapon, and attached it to his belt. "Was I that obvious?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Obvious?" Rusty scoffed, turning around to face him. "For a second there, I thought I was living with Lieutenant Provenza."

"Oh, God," Andy started on half a groan, half a laugh, "then I'm even more sorry."

Rusty laughed, too, then walked to the window and picked up his bullet riddled targets to roll them up. "You know," he looked at Andy sideways, mischief creeping into his features, "it's not too late for you to escape the madness." He shrugged. "Unlike me," he was speaking pointedly, "you haven't signed and sealed anything in ink yet."

Andy grinned. "I didn't know being adopted at 18 made you her prisoner," he said, just as pointedly.

Rusty paused, then put up a finger. "Touche." There would come a time when he'd move out and venture into the world on his own, but for now, he couldn't imagine living with anyone else but his adoptive mother. That Andy's commitment carried a similar, and certainly more long-term, resolve and that he wouldn't even joke about leaving her side, filled Rusty with a strange affection for the man, but that was something he decided to keep to himself.

Suddenly Andy patted his shoulder, and briefly, Rusty worried he had guessed where his thoughts had taken him, but he quickly relaxed when Andy peeked at the targets he was only halfway done rolling up, and said, "She'll be glad to know your aim is improving."

Rusty inspected the bottom part of his targets and nodded uncertainly. He still doubted he'd be any good against a moving target, but he had graduated to at least not missing stationary ones.

This time Andy definitely picked up on his thoughts. "If we have any say in it," his low tone was both intimidating and encouraging, "you won't have to worry about putting your skills to the test at all."

Rusty's shoulders slumped and he rolled up the targets all the way, then squeezed them between his arm and side. "Hard to have any say in it when we can't even prove it's him," he said dejectedly.

Andy leaned a shoulder against the short strip of wall that separated their firing lanes, and gave him a long look. "That murder board of yours is bound to make some sense eventually." Rusty opened his mouth to say something, but Andy put up a hand, not allowing him to. "And until it does," he went on, his hand pointing out their surroundings, "we prepare for the worst."

Rusty slowly nodded. "Not much else I can do anyway," he mumbled.

"You could agree to a protective detail," Andy said, raising an eyebrow at him.

Rolling his eyes, Rusty said, exasperated, "We've been over this."

Andy pushed himself off the wall. "And we'll go over it as many times is necessary for you to see some sense in it," he warned even as he dropped the subject for the time being. He ignored Rusty's silent frown, and started walking toward the exit. "How about we get some takeout on our way home?" His voice was suddenly cheery. "I'm starving."

Rusty shook his head at him, but followed. "Something for Mom, too. I bet she skipped lunch today."

Andy's bitter laugh confirmed that she did.


	39. 6x04

**_Here are two additional scenes for 6x04. The first one explores the team's concern for Sharon, the second one is all Shandy._**

 ** _As always, thank you, escapewithstories, for all your help on these._**

 ** _Gonna leave you to it now. Have fun! :)_**

* * *

The first one

There were times during an investigation when the team would fall into a lull–until a warrant came through, or some test results arrived, or a suspect was delivered to their interview room–but not this time. This time, they still had plenty to do, and had been at it non stop since their Commander was taken to hospital. Currently they were regrouped in the murder room for the first time since she had collapsed, and they were supposed to brief each other on the latest collected information before deciding how to proceed, but found themselves doing nothing of the sort. Provenza had called Mike earlier, informing the younger Lieutenant, and subsequently everyone else, that he was on his way back from the hospital. Now, all eager to grill the man on Sharon's condition, work suddenly didn't seem nearly as important. What little they knew so far was that Sharon was alright, or at least better than she had been the last time they had seen her, but their patience regarding not knowing what exactly had managed to bring down their seemingly indestructible commanding officer had finally run out, and there was no way they would return to work until Provenza showed up with hopefully even better news.

Typically, at this point in their investigation, they would be reporting to their Commander, theorizing, bouncing ideas off her and each other. However, it was obvious by the way each of them kept throwing concerned glances towards her office that they were all painfully aware that would not be happening today. Only their newest colleague, Detective Paige, seemed to not succumb to that knowledge, naturally, of course, for she hadn't been working with their boss nearly as long or close as they have. She was standing in front of the murder board, the way she was frowning at the board with her head tilted to the side in concentration indicating that she was racking her brain trying to find some angle they hadn't explored yet.

It was Julio who lifted the heavy silence they momentarily lapsed into, and although he spoke quietly, his words made the youngest Detective jump on the spot and turn to look at him. He was hunched over, his elbows resting on his thighs, and his gaze dead set on the spot his boss collapsed in. "That was scary."

Amy agreed with a nod. "Her tests are taking forever," she said, her obvious worry only intensified by this fact and its implications.

Mike seemed to be thinking along similar lines. "It could be all kinds of things," he said, nervously fiddling with his glasses. "Dehydration, exhaustion," he put his glasses back on, "complication from the flu like pneumonia or hy-"

Wes interjected, a bewildered look on his face. He held his hands up, as if in surrender, but it was really in a plea to stop Mike from continuing his list. "We get the picture, Lieutenant."

Mike shrugged apologetically, scratching the top of his head awkwardly. "Just saying…"

Julio suddenly half-scoffed, half-chuckled, not paying Mike and Wes much attention. "Funny," he said, no real humor in the word, "I thought passing out was Lieutenant Flynn's thing."

It drew a few dry chuckles out of the rest of them, but Paige looked at them with a frown. "How many times did he collapse?" The crease on her brow deepened, and as she waved her pen through the air, she added, "I know he had a heart attack here, but…"

"Since the Commander took over?" Buzz asked, not waiting for a response. "Here in the murder room?" he added rhetorically, then shrugged and glanced over his colleagues questioningly. "Three times."

"And," Provenza suddenly walked into the murder room in a quick stride, shrugging out of his suit jacket on the way to his desk, "he was a pain in the ass patient afterwards each time." He smirked when the team laughed, albeit nervously, and proceeded to drape his jacket over the back of his chair. "However," he said, half-amused, half-worried, "judging by the update I just had to give Sharon, and," he finally took a seat behind his desk, "Flynn being on the verge of another heart attack trying to get her to take a day off, I have a feeling she won't be any better."

Only Provenza would dare voice that assumption about their Commander, and the fact that he did seemed to be permission for the rest of them to laugh again, slightly more genuinely this time. It was Amy who sobered fairly quickly though, and asked the burning question on their minds. "Do they know what's wrong?"

Provenza sighed. "The doctor came in with the results and kicked us all out of her room, so," he shrugged, "I think they do." Fishing his phone out of his pocket, hopefully, he added, "Flynn should fill me in when the doc's done."

Amy swallowed and her eyes went wide. "So they're not releasing her yet?"

"Oh," Provenza's tone was ominous and his eyes were set on Sharon's empty office, "if Sharon Raydor has any say in it, she'll be out of that hospital bed before _we're_ out of the murder room today."

Julio looked around the room, an optimistic smirk on his face. "Seems to me she's all good again then."

Everyone but Mike chuckled. "Aside from the whole passing out thing," he eyed Julio blandly, "sure, perfectly good."

"Anyway," Provenza said with a touch of finality before Julio could respond, and he tore his gaze away from Sharon's office, "she expects us to continue as usual, _and_ ," he paused, giving each of them a pointed look, "to keep her updated."

Nobody even tried to continue as usual. Instead Buzz said, somewhat warily, "Lieutenant?"

The concern in the young man's voice had Provenza turning to look at him. When he met his equally worried face, Buzz railed off, swallowing a feeble smile in lieu of his actual inquiry, so Provenza swept a gaze over the rest of his team. They were all, even their two newest colleagues, wearing matching expressions and suddenly the nervous energy that had kept him going ever since Sharon was wheeled out of the murder room was replaced by a feeling the word 'worry' couldn't even begin to describe. Because of his partner alone, Provenza had gotten very well acquainted with this feeling, but that didn't prepare him any better for it. The fact that Sharon Raydor had made it to the list of people who would elicit such a depth of emotion, part of his sarcastic self would consider ridiculous, but in the face of his and his team's concern he didn't find it in him to even try to crack a joke about it. Instead, trying to sound as comforting as he could, considering he really wasn't good at that kind of thing, he finally said, "Rusty's with her. Flynn's with her. If anything happens, and," he shook his head, "I highly doubt that anything will, they'll let us know immediately. In the meantime," he continued pointedly, "let's get back to work. Besides," he cracked a sly smile suddenly, a quip popping into his head after all, "she'll be here to boss us all around again before you know it." Under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to still hear him, he added, "Probably by the end of the day, too."

It had the desired effect and his teammates offered up a few smiles. Just like that, they heeded Provenza's order and returned to work.

After all, once their boss did return, and they were now much more hopeful that she would do so soon, she would not be pleased if they had no update to give her.

* * *

The second one

Admitting and regretting that she didn't take any notes like Andy had during his ordeal in hospitals, Sharon resorted to sharing all the documentation her doctor had sent her home with. She was going to sit back down on her chair once she retrieved it, but having had enough of giving her space, Andy pulled her down next to him and so they spent the next half hour sitting there shoulder to shoulder going over everything they knew about Sharon's condition.

It was when there was nothing technical left to go over and they fell into an exhausted, somber silence that Sharon sighed and revealed something she only then became fully aware of. "This is what it feels like then…"

Andy tossed her file over to the chair and looked at her, the expression on her face cluing him into what she was talking about. "To be scared of dying?" When she smiled ruefully, he nodded and added a contemplation of his own. "And this is what it feels like to get the crap scared out of you?"

He was smiling crookedly at her, teasing, but there was worry and fear in his eyes, too, and Sharon wondered how long it would be before they went away. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Pretty much."

He took to fiddling with her engagement ring with his other hand and sighed. "We're gonna have to tell the kids."

Sharon hummed affirmatively, leaning her head against his upper arm. She was not looking forward to that at all, and she had a feeling Rusty would actually freak out the least. Ricky and Emily always had overprotective tendencies and she was already bracing herself for those tendencies to kick into a higher gear than usual when she told them and they flew down for the wedding. At the same time, however, there was a tremendous feeling of longing to see them in her. The prospect of having them visit never ceased to make her giddy with excitement, but this time it was different. She didn't just want to wrap her arms around them, savor their company and get caught up on everything distance forced her to miss out on. She wanted to take comfort in them, draw strength and courage from them the way she could from having Andy and Rusty by her side. That desire in and of itself was not new to her, but her current circumstance of uncertainty made it more overwhelming than usual. The intensity of it forced tears to form in her throat and before she could even try to hold it back, a choked sob escaped her. She tried to hide her face in Andy's arm, but he had already let go of her hand and wrapped the arm around her shoulder, tucking her safely into his side.

"It's okay," he said quietly, rubbing his hand over her arm soothingly. "They'll be here before you know it."

How he could always tell where her thoughts went was a question that crossed her mind more than once over the course of their relationship, and its answer eluded her just as many times, but the fact that he did just then only reinforced her tears. Clutching his robe tightly, she clung to him desperately, and sought shelter there as she gave up on holding back her tears altogether.

Andy held onto her just as firmly. Wordlessly. His heart was breaking for her, but there was nothing more he knew to do to ease her pain. Or his own. Sharon, the fiercest person he knew, who had been the one to help mend him, was falling apart in front of him and he couldn't bear watching. Anger bubbled inside him that her body would betray her the way his own had betrayed him. His body, he had abused over the years, taken for granted for decades before he even spared taking proper care of it a fleeting thought. That it eventually did let him down seemed more inevitable than surprising. But Sharon's? She had no lifetime of bad habits that put her at risk, no string of physical injuries that added strain to her body, nothing. It decided to give out on her on a whim. Now that so many things had finally fallen into place for her, it felt like a bad practical joke was being played on both of them. Only it wasn't a joke. Not even remotely, and laughter was the farthest thing from Andy's mind. He was utterly terrified just at the idea of losing her, especially now when they were so close to being officially pronounced each other's. That she must have felt the same way when he had faced his health crises, and that she got through it without ever crumbling, only tugged harder at his heartstrings. Desperate, he pressed his lips to her hair and took a deep steadying breath, but it didn't have the desired effect. Instead, he was hit with the scent of whatever mysterious cosmetics she used during her nightly routine, but it was a scent he always distinctly associated with her that reached his senses and pushed him over the edge, making him succumb to the weight of his emotions, too.

After a while, neither knew how long, Sharon murmured, "You deserve it."

Andy lifted his head, as did she, and looked at her in puzzlement for a moment. Once he caught on, he couldn't believe that those were the things she was contemplating right now, but said, "You, or my kids," because those were the only things he could not fathom he could have possibly ever deserved to have in his life, "I don't think I do."

She shook her head. "Everything, Andy," she said resolutely, "you are more than worth it."

He could care less that her face was still tear-stained, or that his was, too. All he could do in that moment was lean in and capture her lips in a searing kiss. She responded instantly, and for a few moments they lost themselves in it, found solace in it, but when her hand came up to his cheek, he covered it with his own and pulled back. He wasn't allowed to speak, however, because Sharon beat him to it.

"You know _why_ ," her tone went higher over that word,"I care about you so much?"

Andy just stared at her because she suddenly sounded so… happy? Elated? Confident? Optimistic? All of the above? He couldn't settle on just one word, but his heart swelled up at the mere notion that it had something to do with him.

Sharon took his silence as answer enough. "Because _you_ ," her fingers twitched against his cheek, "care." She shook her head again, in disbelief that he did not see what she saw every day and couldn't get enough of. "You are good," she stroked her thumb over his damp cheek, "kind and generous. You're persistent," the small upward tug of her mouth made Andy roll his eyes at her because what she really meant to say was 'stubborn', "and patient, and hardworking, and loyal to a fault." She leaned in and quickly brushed her lips against his before removing her hand from his face. "And those are just a few in a long list of things I love about you."

Deeply moved, Andy barely mustered a watery smile before dropping his gaze to her hands and clasping one of them between his. "Careful," he finally said, his voice both hollow and gravelly, "if that gets back to the PAB, my reputation will be shot to hell."

She laughed one of those short bubbly laughs he absolutely adored, but ducked her head to catch his eye and told him seriously, "Those are also the things that make you an excellent police officer."

It wasn't so much the words that created a lump at the back of Andy's throat, or even the fact that they came from her. It was those expressive, determined eyes of hers, so open and genuine, and so filled with love, for him of all people, that did him in. He couldn't imagine anything ever, least of all her heart that he loved so much, being something to threaten dulling them. He swallowed hard, making a conscious effort to push back his tears and escape his desolate thoughts. Instead, he put on a smirk. "Even when I get into trouble?"

"Even when you get into trouble," she confirmed on another laugh, and Andy finally laughed with her.

Not letting go of her hand, he suddenly stood. "Ready to call it a night?"

Allowing herself to feel her exhaustion for the first time that day, on a groan Sharon said, "Yes," and took to her own feet.

Her hold on his hand slackened as she prepared to walk to her side of the bed, but Andy's grip remained strong, and he tugged on it. When she paused, he grabbed her other hand and gently pulled her towards him. He was looking at her so intently that Sharon's gaze faltered and she gladly let him pull her into his embrace, or else she would have teared up once more. His breath was hot against her ear and his voice low and thick when he said, "I love you," he tightened his arms around her, "and we're gonna figure this out, okay?"

'What _we_ 're dealing with.' Andy's earlier words suddenly flashed across Sharon's mind and she welled up all over again, her chest constricting for entirely different reasons compared to back in the murder room when she collapsed. There was a time when she blindly trusted the promise of support behind words like those. Then there was a time when she took it for granted and found herself desperately hoping for it when it disappeared, before being let down by it one last time and completely giving up on believing anyone other than her parents and children would ever truly mean it. But then, five years ago, this man in whose comforting arms she just stood wormed his way into her life, and he proved, both in her personal and professional life, that she could trust that promise again. So that's what she did just then, trust. Not blindly or foolishly the way she had with another man decades ago. It was a well-educated kind of trust, but it was wholly encompassing and there was not a single seed of doubt in her mind about it. The realization felt liberating really, and for a second she found herself wanting to apologize for ever considering postponing, or even cancelling, their wedding. But Andy would have just brushed it off, so instead she nodded against his chest and, because she knew with absolute certainty that she did not have to ask, stated, "You're coming to my next appointment."

She felt Andy's smile against her neck before he placed a kiss there. He pulled back just enough to be able to look at her. "Good," he brushed his thumb against the single tear that managed to escape beneath the rim of her glasses and run down her cheek, "because once I'm your husband there will be no keeping me away from them. Besides," he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her only half-jokingly, "you clearly need somebody taking notes for you."

She threw her head back in a light-hearted laugh and smacked his chest playfully. "Yes," she said, her laugh morphing into a soft, besotted smile, "that is," the way she dropped her eyes to her hand and ran her fingers along the collar of his t-shirt made her next words an understatement, "precisely what I need you for."

He matched her smile, delighted at her response, and captured her hand to press a kiss against her knuckles. When it drew another smile out of her even as she shook her head at him, he released her hand and finally let her walk to her side of the bed. Once under the covers, Sharon forewent her pillow and instead found a cushion in the form of the inside of Andy's shoulder. When her feet slipped between his calves, he let out a long, tired, but content sigh and wrapped his arm around her. They would both drift toward their respective bedsides come morning, but he would hold onto her tightly until then. As much as he wished it would, his hold would not ease her ailment, but it was already relaxing them both and allowing sleep to take over. Andy was just at the precipice of slipping fully under, when Sharon's low, sleepy voice that made him wonder whether she was even awake anymore, put a smile on his face.

"I can't wait to be your wife either."

* * *

 ** _Thoughts? :D_**


	40. 6x05

_**So by now I imagine everyone has seen the latest episode, and if you haven't…**_ _ **Well, lucky you.**_

 _ **If there was anything Sharon Raydor was to me, it was inspiration. Regardless of what twists and turns Duff decided to take or not take with her, I could always rely on the fact that she still existed and I had enough imagination of my own to fix all the little gripes I had about Duff's writing along the way. But now? How do you fix this, without completely disregarding canon and blindly rewriting history? You don't. Or well, at least I won't. I can't believe it has come to this, because if there was one thing I always so loved about this show it was that it never ceased to inspire me to discuss it, to theorize about it, to write about it, to make gifsets about it, but not anymore. Everything that has ever driven the fangirl in me has effectively been killed right along with Sharon Raydor last night. This is all simply too painful, too senseless, too pointless. There is no Major Crimes show without Sharon Raydor. The complete and utter betrayal I feel because of Duff's latest lies cannot be put into words, and I am so incredibly livid with anger that I can't even take a moment to grieve the death of my favorite character or commiserate with the pain all the other characters who loved her must be going through, and mind you, if this storyline had any point other than to add drama that is just so unnecessary in order to move along the plot (or okay, maybe say "life's a bitch and then you die" because I guess that's a valid point), I would be latching onto these characters. I would be writing like crazy, because writing is my escape, my way of dealing with my beloved characters' troubles as well as their happy times. However, last night, just like that, James Duff has taken that away from me and I will not be writing for this fandom anymore. I wanna be optimistic and say that perhaps I will be hit by inspiration again at one point, so I won't say 'never', but right now everything is all so incredibly bleak and dark I just don't see how I can possibly continue to write anything any time soon, if ever.**_

 _ **I have written this add-on for 6x05 weeks ago. I just hate leaving things unfinished, but continuing this story seems as unlikely to me as Sharon's death making sense in any universe is. My imagination is simply way too stinted right now in light of Sharon's heartbreaking death to even bother trying. It has been a wonderful ride though. I have loved each and every second I spent writing not just these add-ons but my other stories, too. Sharing them with you has been marvelous and I want to thank you all for every kind word you've ever given me. Most of all, I wanna give a huge shoutout to my partner in crime, escapewithstories, who has accidentally, but quickly and surely become my favorite person in this fandom. Just in terms of writing, she has given me so much, but you should know, as should she, that I adore her for a lot more than that.**_

 _ **And speaking of escapewithstories… The two of us have started working on a huge story a few months ago. It was a prompt idea from maidenpride and we've finally started posting it under the name The Same, Yet Different on escapewithstories' account. It is a take on Rusty's life if Andy had taken him in instead of Sharon, and I suggest you go read our first chapter if you haven't already. We had big plans for this prompt, over a hundred of pages of notes on it alone, covering every episode of every season, that's how inspired and eager to write we were. And we actually practically finished writing our spin on the first season, and we will post all those chapters as fast as we can edit them, but beyond that... Our desire to write the remaining seasons has been quashed last night, so to all of you who were so incredibly enthusiastic and positive about our story, this is just a heads up－there will be only 8 more chapters and then we are both calling it quits. So, even though I just said I most likely won't be writing anymore, don't be surprised when/if you see those updates, because they were written before the 6x09 developments.**_

 _ **In the meantime, here's my add-on for 6x05 that is almost as long as these notes. I apologize for that, by the way, but I hope you have made it past them and to my actual additional scene.**_

 _ **As always, fingers crossed you like it.**_

* * *

Stepping through the door leading from the bathroom to her bedroom, Sharon stopped short when her eyes landed on the back of her daughter sitting at the foot of the bed. She sighed silently and leaned a shoulder against the doorway when she realized that Emily seemed so lost in thought that she didn't even notice her opening the door.

It was late and they had just returned from a successful rehearsal dinner. While Rusty and Andy ushered Ricky and Emily into the living room, Sharon had excused herself to the bathroom for a few minutes to change into something more casual before joining them. Emily, however, seemed to have other ideas.

Sharon quietly draped her discarded clothing over the bed, and finally pulled Emily out of her thoughts by brushing a hand against her shoulder on her way to take a seat beside her.

A short, startled sound escaped her, and she looked her mother's way, but then her shoulders slumped and a soft, feeble smile crossed her features. "Hey."

Sharon's return smile was a little more confident than Emily's and she ran the back of her fingers gently over her arm. "Hey, yourself." She sighed somewhat sadly and added, "I guess it's time to talk."

Emily chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah, I think so."

Sharon glanced at the bedroom door that must have been closed by Emily. "What about my middle child?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "I think we could both use a break from his enthusiastic brand of," she put up air quotation marks, " _help_."

"Ha," a short snort escaped Sharon, but her voice softened, took on a bit of a fond note, "I think it's rather endearing." Judging by the mischievous glint in her eyes, she was teasing, too.

Emily smirked. "Are we talking about Ricky or Andy?"

Before Sharon could stop it, a smile flickered over her features, in effect giving Emily her answer, but she eyed her daughter meaningfully and said, "I thought you wanted to talk about me." She wasn't particularly keen on it, but only she could provide her children with the reassurances they needed, and knowing the matter weighed on their minds heavily enough to confide in Father Stan made her all the more determined to try to give them that. Even if she found it hard to reassure herself at the moment.

Emily didn't need more prompting, giving Sharon the feeling that finally 'cornering' her like this was her children's plan all along. Angling her body sideways so that she faced her mother properly, Emily grabbed one her hands. "Mom," she started on a sigh, "we're worried. You tell us about this heart condition you have, all the possible turns it could take, and then," she shrugged and stared at her incredulously, "you go on like it's nothing. Mom," her voice turned pleading and her hold on Sharon's hand tightened, "it's not nothing, and I know you think you have everything under control," she rolled her eyes and Sharon smiled at her next words, "you probably even do, but, please," she squeezed her hand again, "let us help."

Sharon sighed again and turned sideways to face Emily fully as well. It was her turn to grab ahold of her daughter's hands, so she clasped them both between hers. "It's not nothing," she confirmed on a nod. She gave her a slightly admonishing look. "And I'm not acting like it is. I am following doctor's orders and nothing in them says I have to put everything else on hold. More importantly," there was suddenly an edge to her tone, and it was a familiar one because Emily's eyes briefly widened in familiar trepidation, "nobody is saying you or Ricky should either."

"Too late," Emily said defiantly, knowing what Sharon was really alluding to. "We've already delayed our flights and we're not changing them back, so you'll just have to deal with being stuck with us for a little while longer."

As if to cement her point, she nodded once, making her bangs fall into her eyes. Her almost petulant response made Sharon smile and for a moment she wasn't looking at the grown, independent woman her daughter had become, but at the curious, sweet, stubborn little girl she used to be not so long ago. An indulgent, exasperated, albeit soft, sigh escaped her and she lifted a hand to run it affectionately over Emily's cheek. "So stubborn." The words were hardly the reprimand they were intended to be, but squeezing her cheek lightly was reprimanding enough.

Emily smiled smugly, but her response wasn't as lighthearted as it was supposed to be when she dropped her gaze to her lap over it. "Seems to run in the family."

Sharon trailed her fingertips down Emily's cheek until they reached her chin, then gently nudged her to lift her eyes. What she saw in them made her decide to confess to her something she had only revealed to Andy thus far. She briefly lifted a single shoulder and tilted her head over a small, guilty smile. "I'm afraid, too, honey."

And just like that Emily's eyes filled with tears she had probably been holding back ever since finding out about her mother's condition, and neither knew who pulled whom into an embrace, but suddenly Emily's face was buried in Sharon's neck, and Sharon could only hold on to her, rubbing a soothing hand over her hair as she quietly cried.

For the first time since her diagnosis, Sharon's overwhelmed state did not lead her to tears of her own. Instead, her chest filled with a warm, if heavy, weight, and her voice was steady when she made her a promise. "I am not going anywhere yet." When Emily's hold on her tightened, and if possible, she furrowed further into her neck, she added jokingly, "You're stuck with me for a little while longer, too."

Emily pulled back at that, wiping the tears from her face. "A long while, mom, a _long_ while."

Sharon smiled, grabbing her face, her thumbs taking over Emily's task. "I will do my best," she promised, and pressed her lips to her forehead.

Emily closed her eyes, indulging in the offered comfort, then warned, a bit of humor seeping into her tone, "We'll still fuss over you."

Sharon laughed. "I already have two guys that do," she shook her head, but more in affection than in annoyance, "what are two more?"

The mention of those guys seemed to remind Emily of the real reason she and Ricky were visiting, and she almost squealed before saying, "You're getting married tomorrow!"

Sharon smiled brightly, and in a combination of both bashfulness and confidence brushed her hair back before saying, "I am."

"Did you really consider cancelling the wedding?" Emily suddenly asked, eyes wide and a tad too curious for Sharon's liking.

Sharon had no recollection when or how that even reached her children's ears, but she answered anyway. "I suggested postponing it, yes."

"So much for not putting everything on hold," Emily said mockingly.

"Well," in hindsight, even though she didn't regret putting the option on the table, it was only fair to Andy to be honest with him, Sharon did _perhaps_ feel a _little_ silly about it, "that was before…" she trailed off on an open mouth when she failed to find the right words for Andy's powers of persuasion.

As if picking up on her thoughts, knowingly, Emily said, "I love it that he's almost as stubborn as you."

Sharon chuckled. "Yes," she said lightly, her eyes flickering to the door as if seeking out the man in question, "I believe I may have met my match."

Emily suddenly smiled as if she had discovered some carefully kept secret.

"What?" Sharon asked, narrowing her eyes.

Emily shrugged. "Nothing," she paused, inching her head to the side and considering her mother for a long moment, "I'm just glad he makes you happy. You deserve to be."

Sharon pulled her into her side and squeezed her tightly. Pressing a kiss to her hair, almost giddily she said, "Oh, I love you!"

Laughing, Emily said, "So you keep telling me."

"Oh," Sharon relaxed her hold and pulled back, placing her hands flat on her shoulders to give her a stern look, "and I will continue to for as long as I can, don't you worry."

Emily giggled and averted her eyes momentarily. "Why does that sound like a threat?"

"It's not a threat," Sharon told her seriously, her features softening, "it's a promise."

Emily couldn't do much more than shake her head at her mother's resolve, when a knock on the door interrupted them, and before either could give permission, it opened, Ricky's head popping around it immediately after. Without so much as an apology and certainly without any preamble he zeroed in on his sister. "You done hogging the mother?"

While Sharon started laughing, Emily frowned, protectively wrapping her arms around Sharon. "No, the mother and I are still busy." She waved a hand at him. "Go away please."

Recovering, Sharon freed herself from Emily's grip and grumbled, "The mother is here, you know."

Ricky stepped fully into the room, leaving the door ajar. "That she is," he agreed, then in two long strides reached the foot of the bed and flopped down on Sharon's other side. Kissing her cheek quickly, he grinned and added, "Hello, mother."

Caught off guard by her son's antics, Sharon's eyebrows shot up and a light laugh bubbled out of her. "Hello," she reached out a hand and ruffled his scruffy beard, " _son_."

"So," Ricky craned his neck to look behind Sharon at Emily, "you talk any sense into her yet?"

"Excuse me," Sharon started indignantly before Emily could even open her mouth, " _talk sense into me_?" She raised a single eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest, warning her son to tread _very_ lightly now.

There was a time, when Ricky was much younger, when he would instantly retreat under as dangerous a look as his mother was aiming at him just then. It still made him recoil a little and swallow uncomfortably, but it was no longer enough to force him to completely back down. "You're sick, Mom. A heart condition," he shook his head, "you have a heart condition!"

"Of which I am very well aware, Ricky, and as I have just assured your sister," Sharon glanced toward Emily, "I am following my doctor's instructions to the letter. There is no need for either one of you to drop everything to take care of me. I am still the parent in this," she waved her hand between all three of them, "relationship. That has not changed."

Wide-eyed, Ricky started, "But, Mom-"

"No buts, Ricky," Sharon softened her sharp interruption by gently gripping his arm, "I understand your concerns," when Ricky opened his mouth to most likely argue that he didn't think she did, Sharon trailed her hand down his arm and clasped his hand, moving on quickly before he could speak, "and I wish so much that you weren't this worried," she turned toward Emily to grasp her hand as well before placing them both firmly in her lap, "certainly not on my account. It breaks my heart that you are," momentarily her gaze fell to their hands, trying to clamp down on the emotions that were threatening to bubble to the surface, "but," she lifted her eyes to meet her son's and smiled a little at her use of the conjunction she forbade just a few seconds earlier, and he rolled his eyes at her, "I am doing well so far. You don't need to-"

"So far," Ricky repeated, squeezing her hand. "What happens after 'so far', huh?" he asked, and the words sounded so accusatory all of a sudden that Emily glared at him warningly, but he ignored her and went on. "Parent or not, Mom, we're not little kids anymore who need protecting from the big bad world. Would you just let us return the favor?" His voice softened and he dropped his eyes to her hand as he added, "You gotta let us do _something_."

'Do something'. Therein lay the entire problem. Being desperate to act, but powerless to do so in a way they considered truly helpful, and therefore clinging to whatever little could pass as being remotely useful. It was a predicament Rusty and Andy found themselves in as well, only they had reached a stage of trying, and failing, to keep it from her. Being the center of their concern, Sharon was caught in the middle, struggling to not succumb to similar feelings of helplessness and despair. Struggling to alleviate their dread whichever way she could when she wasn't quite able to quell her own. Struggling to take away their pain for her and replace it with comfort and hope, when she in turn hurt for _them_ , and when she herself could only seek comfort _in them_.

Perhaps she had unintentionally lied to her priest earlier that day. She wasn't _almost_ overwhelmed.

She was _beyond_ overwhelmed.

Which is why her voice trembled and it was almost too painful to speak when she responded. "You already are doing something. You came for my wedding and you are so," she took a thin breath, "oh so wonderful for wanting to stay even longer for my benefit, but," she turned to look at Emily, too, and her soft gaze became almost as caressing as the thumbs she was running soothingly over the backs of her children's hands, "all I need from you is to have a little faith and trust me when I say that you going back to your lives in a few days will help me more than you delaying it would. At any time you could have asked me to move back in here," she smiled feebly and looked toward Ricky again, "and I would have bought two beds and squeezed them in here somewhere in a heartbeat," her smile strengthened when it drew a couple of chuckles out of them, "but," she shook her head, and her smile receded while her tone grew more serious, "I would not and _will not_ allow it just because I became sick."

"So that's it?" Ricky asked and Sharon could tell the fight had finally left him despite his incredulous-sounding question that followed. "End of discussion?"

Sharon sighed, but smiled and answered with a pointed note of finality. "Yes."

Ricky sought out his sister's eyes, and when she shrugged, already resigned to heeding their mother's wish to give her some space, he sighed. "Fine."

Sharon pulled him into a hug. "Fine," she repeated mockingly.

When she pulled back, Ricky was looking at her in exasperation, but took to his feet, officially letting go of the matter. "Andy must be crazy," he suddenly said, and Sharon's head snapped up to look at him in question. He merely grinned and muttered his explanation over an exaggerated shake of his head. "Actually _wanting_ to spend the rest of his life with you and your infuriatingly stubborn ways."

Sharon smacked his forearm in mock indignation, but before she could offer a reprimand, the door opened and revealed the crazy man himself. "Careful," he started, the mischievous look on his face revealing he had heard the tail end of their conversation, "that's your mother you're talking about."

The wide-eyed, startled look on Ricky's face had Sharon and Emily burst into laughter. He slowly turned around and by the time he was face to face with his future step-father, he had found his wits again. "Actually, I believe I was talking about," he even pointed a finger at him, "you."

"That's alright," Andy said, placing his hand on Ricky's shoulder and leaning in a little, his obvious intention being to make the young man squirm, "I _am_ crazy," he continued his torture by slowly and pointedly seeking out Sharon and giving her a dopey smile before adding, "crazy about your mom."

Shaking her head at him, Sharon smiled despite herself. Emily giggled, but Ricky all but flinched away from Andy. "Ugh," he grimaced, but judging by the smile that tugged at his mouth, more for show than out of actual disgust, "you're such a cliche, Andy."

Andy grinned, then looked Sharon and Emily's way again, shrugging his shoulders as if to say it wasn't the first time he had been accused of that and he was hardly bothered by it. It only set off the two women's laughter once more.

Continuing to shake his head, Ricky made his way to the door. "I don't know what you see in this guy, Mom," he grumbled, but the teasing glint in his eyes revealed that some things he could actually see himself.

"Well, for starters," Sharon started cheerfully, but her fading smile revealed she would continue with something more seriously, "I can see there's a reason he interrupted us." She was giving her future husband a pointedly questioning quirk of an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah," Andy grew serious, too, and looked back and forth between the three, "Rusty's calling it a night, and well, we do have a big day ahead of us tomorrow... " he trailed off on a tilt of his head, not needing to voice his request for Sharon to perhaps call it a night, too.

Sharon hummed in agreement. "I am tired," she admitted, then looked at her children. "We've had a long day today."

Not needing further convincing, Emily said, "Yes, get some rest you two." She pecked her mother on the cheek, then stood. "Good night, love you." She caught Andy a little off guard, when on her way to the door she stopped to kiss his cheek, too, while mumbling, "Night."

Ricky let his sister go through the door first, then threw a 'Good night' over his shoulder as he followed and closed the door behind them.

"Good night," Andy told the closed door awkwardly, then turned to Sharon. "So;" he inclined his head toward the dynamic duo's exit, "how stubborn were _they_?"

"Ah," Sharon leaned forward and grabbed his hand to get him to sit down next to her, "no more than usual."

Andy barked a sarcastic laugh. "Right." He suddenly frowned and jokingly asked, "Wait, they were grilling you on your health, right? Not trying to talk you out of walking down the aisle tomorrow?"

Sharon laughed and patted his thigh reassuringly. "They seemed to have expected to have to talk you into waiting for me at the end of that aisle rather than talk me out of walking down it."

Andy looked at Sharon in confusion, needing a second to actually comprehend her sentence. Then, in both understanding and surprise, he let out an "Oh," before smirking. "Were you that hard on them?"

She chuckled, but then smiled softly and shook her head. "No, they're just at a loss," she sighed sadly, "wanting to do everything for me, but having no clue what exactly."

Andy humphed and suddenly focused on the floor. His voice somewhat hollow, he said, "Sounds familiar." There was a slight pause, before he added, his tone revealing just how much understanding he had for her children's eagerness to take charge of the situation and help, "I wouldn't want to leave your side either now." He looked up, giving her a long, hard look. "And I won't."

Sharon took a breath, once again overwhelmed by his utter devotion to her. Clasping his hand, she laid her head against his shoulder, but lacked any more energy to discuss things further. A sadness swept over her instead and she said, "I'm sorry for putting a damper on our wedding." She started toying with the watch around his wrist and added regretfully, "We haven't really had time to be excited about it, now, have we?"

"Oh, I'm excited alright," Andy assured her, grinning at her suddenly, "at this rate I wouldn't be surprised if we had to have my cardiologist marry us tomorrow instead of Father Stan."

Sharon smacked his hand. "Don't even joke about it," she admonished even though she chuckled.

"So," Andy started in a tone that had Sharon prop her chin on his arm to look at him, "how are the kids really holding up?"

She shrugged. "Worried, terrified really, but," she smiled then, "they're okay. They'll be okay."

Andy nodded, not missing the fact that she sounded more hopeful than actually sure of it. "And you?" he asked quietly, not having properly had her to himself to ask since Ricky and Emily arrived.

Sharon lifted her head and straightened, but did not let go of his hand. For a moment, she merely stared into space, silently sifting through her thoughts and emotions.

Her body, that one thing that had never before failed her, had started to give out on her, had become the biggest threat to her. And as if that was not enough, her body's failure had in effect made her the sole source of pain and concern, not just for the man sitting beside her, but for her children. The reality of it made her in equal measures absolutely devastated and completely livid with anger. Yet, right then and there, she felt oddly calm and soothed. Ricky and Emily's worried faces would forever haunt her, just like Rusty's and Andy's already were, but they had also given her renewed resolve and strength to deal with this illness to the best of her ability regardless of the path it took. Doing it for them made it all somehow comparatively less difficult. She was as determined as ever.

And then there was Andy, who, next to Rusty, was probably the biggest miracle of her life recently. It had been an eternity since last, in the eyes of fear, she had felt so secure. It had been even longer since she allowed herself to feel secure on account of someone else, but she did with him. Her illness had forcibly stripped her of one thing she had always taken comfort in, control. It was a paralyzing concept in her universe, but once Andy entered her orbit, she also found herself slowly, but willingly letting go of it, and oddly enough, that did not feel paralyzing at all. Instead, it was calming and encouraging. Of course, she would have managed just fine without Andy Flynn. For the longest time she actually had, and there was no doubt in her mind that her children would have been more than enough to keep her head and spirits up this time, too, but she was so incredibly glad that they didn't have to be. Andy was there to support her, not because she needed and wanted him to or she had asked him to. _He_ wanted to. It was as simple as that and doing anything less was completely out of the question, just like not doing the same for him was completely incomprehensible to her. For that alone, she would love him.

That he also refrained from interrupting what she knew must have been agonizingly long musings of hers, only further fueled her sentiment and finally, on somewhat of a cleansing sigh, she answered, "I'm better, and all things considered, just so," she offered him a small smile and shrugged, " _so_ incredibly happy."

He searched her face for a few moments, looking for any trace of, not dishonesty, but insecurity. Finding none, he smiled back, and bumped his shoulder against hers. "Happy looks good on you."

Her smile widened and she hummed contentedly. "How are _you_?" she asked, squeezing his hand and realizing that it was a question aimed so many times at her in the last few days, but never once at him.

He either missed, or more likely, ignored the seriousness of her question and said jokingly, "Having heart palpitations and just about ready to jump out of my skin with excitement, but otherwise," he threw her a crooked smile, "excellent."

She huffed out a short puff of air, shooting him and his joke a bland look. Deciding to bring him down a notch, and making sure she also sounded unimpressed, she said, "Clearly I'm not marrying you for your sense of humor."

Her intentions completely backfired when he smiled roguishly, his expression alone nearly enough to make her straight facade falter. "Oh, yeah, you are," he said and grinned with glee when she finally crumbled and laughed, epically failing to deny that he had every right to be as confident as he looked.

"I really am okay," he told her seriously, once her laughter receded. He traced his fingers across her fingertips and added, "Don't worry about me."

She smiled, appreciating that he gave her a straight answer after all. He knew better than to ask her not to worry though, but by then it really was more of a platitude than an honest request, so she let it go and dropped her head back on his arm. "We should go to bed," she said. "It'll be morning before you know it, and I'm not sure Emily will refrain from kicking you out before we even wake up."

"Kick me out?" Andy asked, confused.

Sharon lifted her head again and looked at him blandly. "You didn't really expect to see me before the ceremony tomorrow?"

Andy frowned. "We did pass the usual 24-hour mark, didn't we?"

"Ha!" With how precious she discovered time to be recently, Sharon was more than happy to forego that particular tradition. She pressed her palm to his cheek in mock condescension. "True, but we would still like to make some things a surprise for you."

Andy grunted, leaning away from her touch. "Definitely," he grumbled, in protest trying the impossible task of biting the middle of her palm, "spending our wedding night in a hospital bed then."

Shaking her head, Sharon reached for his cheek again, this time her grip strong so she could lean in and kiss him. "Still not funny," she muttered, then took to her feet and stood in front of him. "Come on," she added, her hands finding his tie and starting to loosen the knot, "let's get ready for bed."

He smiled. "Let's, I need to get my beauty sleep anyway."

Pulling his tie out from around the collar of his shirt, she giggled and started walking to the bathroom, a sarcastic, "Of course you do," on her lips.

…

What exaggerations about his state of body and mind Andy offered the previous night, turned only too true the following day. There was no containing his excitement, and it started the second he woke up, the first coherent thought in his head, "We're getting married today."

His happiness only increased when he opened his eyes and found Sharon facing him, her own eyes still closed. It had been awhile since he had woken to find her still asleep, so as much as he itched to wake her with a kiss and start rambling about her becoming his wife in a few short hours, he kept himself in check and refrained.

He squeezed his arm underneath his pillow and snuggled into it, finding a comfortable position to simply watch her. He would be sent on his merry way with nothing but his tuxedo soon, so he had to make the best of what little time he had before that happened. She'd be spending God knew how long on getting ready for the ceremony, and there was no doubt that she'd take his breath away once she finally allowed him to see her, but his heart was so full, he was so utterly giddy with excitement that, if given the opportunity, he would have said "I do" right then and there, him in his plain pajamas, hair sticking every which way, and her in her cream nightgown, not a speck of makeup on her face, her hair wild and tousled from sleep.

"Beautiful."

His whispered word took him by surprise, and he held his breath for a moment, worried it would wake her, but thankfully, her chest continued to rise and fall in a steady relaxed rhythm, and he released the breath, relieved.

Suddenly, her lips twitched, once, twice, before spreading into a lazy line of a smile. But she had not woken still, and Andy found himself longing to step into her dream, see what caused the smile's appearance, and to figure out how to put it there himself. It lasted a mere second though, and when her features returned to their impassive state, he missed it instantly.

After all, he loved her smile. Loved to make her smile, too.

But he let go of it for the moment and let his eyes take in the rest of her features. A stray strand of hair had fallen over her face, covering one of her eyelids and the end of her nose, each breath disturbing its tips. Unable to contain himself anymore, he reached out a hand, and gently, careful to touch nothing but the disobedient tuft of hair, hooked his fingertip underneath it and lifted it to tuck it behind her ear. She frowned briefly, momentarily revealing creases on her brow she usually covered up with makeup. Her nose scrunched up, too, and there was a slight hitch in her breathing, and Andy stiffened, his hand remaining in the air just above her ear, waiting a beat to see if he had perhaps failed, woken her unintentionally after all.

He hadn't. Within another beat, her normal breathing resumed, her features softened and he was able to safely pull his hand back and revel in being able to take in her entire features without the pesky strand of hair in the way.

Although he did love that hair of hers, too. Instinctively, his hand made its way back to it. His fingers were just short of slipping into the soft tendrils when he came to his senses and he quickly pulled it back. As if to make absolutely sure he wasn't tempted again, he went on to silently stuff it into the pocket of his pajama bottoms. He would indulge in that particular part of her later, for now he really was content to just let, and watch, her sleep.

Suddenly, he found that his heart was beating hard and fast in his chest. He dipped his head, looking at himself, half expecting to see its outline appear in the fabric of his t-shirt with each beat. He had better not land in hospital today, he thought dryly. Sharon would kill him.

Or maybe not.

She'd worry.

Just like _he_ had been worrying as of late.

The thought did not speed up his heartbeat, but suddenly made each current beat more palpable, to the point where it actually ached. Her collapse replayed in slow motion in his mind, and his throat closed up with the renewed realization that she could have been taken away from him before they ever got to today.

He really did understand why Ricky and Emily were hovering quite as much as they were. Neither was ready to even think about having to let her go.

He most certainly wasn't. Never would be.

In a few hours he'd officially promise not to, to God and the world, and the fact put a smile on his face, one not too dissimilar to the one crossing his soon-to-be-wife's features a few moments earlier.

For all his watching her, it had completely escaped his notice when her breathing finally did change to the tell-tale rhythm of her pulling out of sleep. In fact, he had been so immersed in his thoughts, that even though she spoke softly, the words somewhere in between a moan and a whisper, he startled when she did.

"You're staring."

Recovering, Andy grinned. "Can you blame me?"

She opened her eyes, and his heart actually skipped a beat this time. "Yes," she mumbled, still sleepy, "as a matter of fact," her voice steadied and she smiled, making her eyes twinkle playfully, "I can."

Andy laughed and finally did what he'd been refraining from for the last ten minutes. When they parted lips, flirty, and his fingers still tangled up in her hair, he said, "Good morning."

She hummed and scooted closer to him, tucking her head underneath his chin. "Morning." Her next words flooded Andy with warmth and, if possible, he grew even more infatuated with her. "Future husband."

In one fluid motion, he had his arms around her and was rolling over onto his back, bringing her flush up on top of him. He laughed at the surprised yelp she let out, and teasingly asked, "Still haven't changed your mind?"

She wiggled her hands out from between their bodies and clasped his cheeks. "Not yet," she said before kissing him.

Even though he was relatively sure she was only teasing back, when she released his face, Andy choked out, "Not yet?"

He was denied an answer because of a knock on the door. Sharon chuckled when he groaned even before Emily's voice instantly followed. "I hope you're decent!"

"The ways I could respond to that," Andy mumbled only half-jokingly as Sharon rolled off of him. The look she threw him said, 'Don't you dare,' and he smartly did not. Instead, he plastered a fake smile on his face, lifted his head from his pillow and looked at the door. "By all means, come on in, Emily."

The door flew open before he was even halfway through his sentence. Emily clapped her hands excitedly, but when her eyes landed on them still sprawled on their backs, she dropped them to her hips and ordered sternly, "Get up!"

Andy flopped his head back to the pillow. "Oh, my God," he groaned, "there are two of them." Sharon whacked a hand across his chest admonishingly and he rolled his head to glare at her. "Ow," he said indignantly.

Sharon just laughed and addressed her eldest child. "We were just about to actually."

Andy shot her an incredulous look. "No, we wer-"

Another smack of her hand promptly shut his mouth. "You first," Sharon ordered, poking him lightly, and this time Andy really did believe there were two of them.

Grunting and muttering something indiscernible under his breath, he dragged his body out of bed. The sweet agony of waiting was about to commence and he had no other choice but to endure it. "See you at two then?" he asked when he reached Sharon's bedside on his way to the bathroom.

He looked so utterly dejected at the prospect of not seeing her until the ceremony that both Emily and Sharon started giggling. They would of course see each other before he was officially shooed out of the condo, but Sharon nodded and said, "See you at two."

He shook his head at the both of them and opened the bathroom door. Before he could close it behind him, however, Sharon added a questioning, "Andy?" When he lifted an eyebrow at her, she tilted her head to the side and gave him an affectionate smile. "Not _ever_."

When her words sunk in, his entire face lit up and he quickly shuffled back toward their bed. "See you at two," he said, suddenly cheerful, then pecked her on the lips and finally disappeared into the bathroom.

Emily frowned at the closed door, confused. "What was that about?"

Laughing merrily at Andy's antics, Sharon got out of bed, too, and waved the question off. "Oh," the drawn out syllable sounded giddy, "nothing."

Emily narrowed her eyes at her, but did not prod further. There was a silly smile on her mother's face as she started making the bed, and she decided that alone was enough of an answer.

* * *

 ** _By all means, tell me what you thought of this! :)_**


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